# "The Bum Diaries" Chapter 1 'A Fresh Start'



## Dreaux (Mar 31, 2014)

This is a book i've been writing based on my personal adventures on the road growing into the Dirty Kid Culture I started in October of 2012. I've posted it to facebook 17 chapters deep, and have missed a few months of writing after losing my phone in Vegas. Ive received a lot of positive feed back, and hope you guys enjoy it too as I continue to post more chapters.


1. A Fresh Start

It was mid-July of 2012 when I decided to make a sudden run for Denton, Texas. A completely spontaneous decision in regards to chasing my pipe-dreams of being a rock star and finding a new band shortly after my prior had fallen apart back in Paris, Texas.
I was then recently given an '86 Crown Vic by my mom's newest boyfriend. A large rattling boat of a car, suffering from multiple cosmetic discrepancies; sun damaged paint job of navy-blue, a bad ding in the driver's side door and other various signs of reckless damage. Only the driver's window rolled down, and the A/C didnt work.
The head lights were dim and angled upwards slightly, providing very little visibility to the road when needed. An old-school 'turn- dial' type radio, not even a tape player. I was actually quite surprised the bastard passed inspection at the time.

I had spent some time in DFW, specifically in the Midcities area in Beford. My first real 'Big City' experience, after spending the first twenty-one years being raised on dirt roads in the country out in Ft.Towson, Oklahoma, then later moved to the small shit-hole that is Paris, a step up for me.
I had heard from the local-yokles in Bedford that Denton was a sort of Mecca for music in North-East Texas. So naturally, after returning to Paris after a drug-fuled falling out with my father whom i'd recently met, it just made sense that the next stop of my life-adventure, would be Denton. I figured I could simply burn off there, get a job, find a new band, get my life together, finally be a self sustaining adult, and get my music career kicked off.

About two weeks after gaining my own ride, I'd managed to hustle up a mere twenty dollars, enough for a half a tank of gas to take me on my two hour trip to a city I'd only been to once during the night to attend a party. I was completely unfamiliar with the town and only knew one person there; a girl named Megan whom I'd met once a year prior from an online dating site. We didnt hit it off in any kind of romantic sense, but we did share a mutual viewpoint of spirituality and the universe. We were friends for that duration of time, communicating only through the internet. 
One cloudy July evening, I got the wild hair up my ass to randomly ask Megan if she'd be interested in having me as a roommate. I had to leave the black hole that was Paris. No future here. Megan agreed, stating that she'd considered asking me if id like to come down for the same reason days before.
So it was set. I would take my hoopty with merely a half a tank of gas, a large Marlboro duffle bag containing about three outfits, my phone and a second-hand charger that hardly worked, and go on this adventure. 

The trip was nice. My first real 'road-trip' per say. Id never driven more than a few blocks around my small redneck pseudo-hometown of Paris. 
It had to have been about 102 degrees outside. The whole trip, as nice as it was involved a lot of sweat and chain smoking while trying to find a good rock station on the radio in the middle of nowhere, while driving about 80 miles an hour down the highway. Even though I was insured, inspection and tags, registration, everything was good, I still damn near have a heart attack when crossing paths with The Swine, the 'boys in blue'. I had passed three highway patrol, doing well over at least ten miles over the speed limit. No heat, thank someone's god. I was 'home free'.

A good two hours later, after a brisk invigorating drive, I saw the TWU (Texas Woman's University) dorm towers on the horizon. I was almost there. Id sent Megan a picture of my gas gauge, the needle hovering over the 'E' mark.
About fifteen minutes later I'd arrived at Megan's apartment. I knocked on the door, greeted by my friend with all smiles. The smell of sage and incense blasted my senses.
After about an hour or so of casual conversation she insisted on introducing me to The Square. The Square, in my opinion is amazing. Theres a large old courthouse in the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by an exquisite coffee shop, and numerous bars, all of which cater to the college students that both go to TWU and UNT. 
She first took me to an antique shop, one of two on the square. Then we'd trailed off to a friend of her's to smoke some grass. We had a good time within the week I was there. And a week it was. 
I was introduced to a good friend named Cody, whom of which took me to a bar on the square called Abbey Underground for karaoke. We'd gone there twice before I'd met the girl of my dreams; Candace.


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## janktoaster (Mar 31, 2014)

Damn, I'm hooked.. more! Let's hear about Candace


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## meathook (Apr 1, 2014)

i admire anyone who can keep a journal/memoir on the road! keep on writing!

[and post part two!]


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## Ristoncor (Apr 4, 2014)

Right amount of detail, interesting read. Would love to read more.


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## Finns Phillips (Nov 7, 2014)

I would buy the book


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