When Life Goes Bad in Oregon

Sam grew up in Kalispell.

He was familiar with the terrain and culture and day to day life in the Flathead Valley. Montana has a unique ability to captivate a person and lull them into a state of contentment and before long, time passes amiably and days and weeks have stretched into years. A great many native sons never leave this state. Not so with Sam. He moved to Oregon and owned his owned his business, and built motor coaches. As much as he loved Montana, he wanted to strike out on his own. He embodied the spirit of the pioneer.

It was during his time in Oregon that he met Tiffany and they began a life together. After some time, the couple moved to Medford and took care of Tiffany's father for a few years, until he passed. During this difficult period, the couple felt they needed to move away from Oregon due to some trying and stressful family situations that began to manifest. Sam had a sister still living in Flathead County, so she enticed them to move. Sam, Tiffany, and their son would have a homecoming, but not one he could have imagined.

Upon arriving back to the place of his childhood, Sam soon realized the anticipated life he expected would not materialize. They gave up their life in Oregon to make a fresh start but nothing panned out as promised. They found temporary lodging with family but this did not last long and they needed a different solution. After 14 years in Oregon, Sam had returned to a place that now seemed as cold and distant as a faraway planet.

Homelessness was never a logical consideration for Tiffany and Sam. Why would it be? They were hard workers and industrious people who were now interjected into an existence they imagined would never happen to them. Eventually they ended up at Samaritan House and needed to start all over again. When Sam scanned the streets and avenues of Kalispell, he saw them though a perspective unbeknown to him, before. Many of the buildings and structures were the same, but the warmth and affection from his childhood was now replaced with a frustrated and frantic view.

With no money, possessions, or transportation, the family was faced with a decision that would affect the rest of their lives. The indelible impression left upon heir nine year old son; the disappointment of a wife and mother of a misrepresented situation; the call of a father to respond to an environment he never imagined. This family was now forced to deal with a life that only happened to other people.

(To be continued...)