Monday, November 18 will mark my 340th day of home-free living. And while living this way has become simpler–routine, even–writing about it has become more of a challenge. I’ve found that there is a sizable gap between my old posts and present-day. Plenty has materialized that I haven’t had a chance to report. At least not in the way that I’d prefer to present it. I am, after all, a perfectionist. Go perfect or go home(-free).
A lot has transpired in the life of the hobo over the past 2-3 months. From largely unreported romantic developments to unrelenting demands for creative projects and a rise in home-free awareness thanks to a surge in entertainment industry interest in my experiment. Each has demanded more of my time than in the past, and it is affecting the way I approach my blog.
Timing is only part of the problem, though. My biggest obstacle in reporting the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth has been the heightened need for anonymity. When I realized a greatly improved website, the publication of news reports, and a spike in social media presence would be making me more vulnerable to detection, I had to make some changes to the way I wrote about my life. At a certain point, I knew I couldn’t tell-all in the same way I once had. And I had a hell of a time deciding what to retain from the old The Office Hobo website, and an even tougher time figuring out what new developments were appropriate to publish. It’s an issue that’s plagued me over the past couple of months. How do you make a blog personal when the most intimate details about yourself will give away your identity?
This, I believe, has hindered the quality of my work. I can’t share every detail I’d like to. Certain things about my workplace are off-limits because those details might give away the identity of my company or the nature of our work. I wish I could publish a story about an inappropriate relationship that developed between two coworkers here, and the saucy details therein. Or the strange things I’ve seen at night as a result of the very unique setup of my office. Oh, there are rich little stories that are going untold!
But I can only take notes of those stories and save them for later, for a day when I am no longer vulnerable to detection. When that will be, I can’t be sure. Sometime between now and when the book is ready for release. More specifically, sometime between when I move out of the office and when I leave my job. The timing of both is still in question.
I’m looking forward to filling in the holes with juicy details. Meanwhile, I’m doing my best to catch you guys up with details of how things are going and tell you as much as I can about my day-to-day. In a couple of upcoming posts, I will talk about some unusual sightings in my building, including a possible second, different “office hobo” in a neighboring place of business. I will also fulfill a recent void of romantic happenings in the life of TOH. There are some fun stories to share. I know some readers have specifically requested those updates, so I thank you for your patience in waiting for them.
Until then, I’ll continue to work on closing in on my goal of one year of home-free living. Thank you for your support in helping me make that happen. I look forward to sharing the coming months with you!
– TOH
