South By South West - the worst 2 weeks of my life [View all]

[Dragonbreathp9d]

Last edited Tue Mar 20, 2012, 04:51 PM - Edit history (1)

This has been the most stressful 2 weeks of my life-70 hours of work the first week plus 80+ the second. Got evicted during first week because my roommate moved out unexpectedly 2 months ago and I couldnt keep up. Had to deal with thousands upon thousands of drunken people with practically no sleep and hardly any food. Lost some hearing because of proximity to very loud (albeit mostly good) music for 15 hours a day. Earplugs were nice but then I couldn't hear people's orders. Top it all off with being arrested after saying "hey how are y'all doing tonight" to some APD officers downtown when I got out of work trying to show some young vets back from Afghanistan a good time. I work downtown about 70 hours a week normally and ALWAYS ask how APD I doing because they have saved my ass numerous occasions and I legitimately CARE how they are doing. They said I "matched a description" of someone selling X. I am a tall white 20 something male with long hair in Austin during sxsw, yeah, I'm sure I fucking did. They asked if they could search me- I said not without my lawyer present. Said they'd pull up street footage- I said sure- with my lawyer present. Then they tried to play good cop bad cop- I said fine, with my lawyer present. Then they arrested me anyways, didn't tell me why (I later found out for public intoxication which is defined by being a danger to yourself or others- mind you I was still in work shirt and still had bar towel hanging as I had only been off for 2 hours) did not read me my rights, searched me- didn't find anything- searched me again and ! Look at that, found something, which is precisely why I wanted my lawyer present in the first place. They asked me if those were my pants I said I prefer not to answer that question (so obviously I was not intoxicated as I had my full legal wits about me). Spent the night in jail- which made me miss my opening shift getting me fired and I am now facing a felony charge. I had to spend most all of what I made last week paying my lawyer.
Now I have no permanent place to stay nor put all of my belongings and I don't know what the fuck to do. I'm pretty sure I'll beat the charge as I was far to legal about it all but what if I don't? I can't go to jail.
My whole life unraveled last week and I came to the realization just how little friends I actually have down here (and not just friendly acquaintances). I know everyone and yet no one.
I have pretty much snapped- I feel like I've lost all care and empathy. Someone bumped into me and I almost wanted to kill them. I've wanted to shout go fuck yourself to just about everyone I've seen after this craziness. I need a break. I need a walden pond. I'm literally freaking out and had to spend money I really don't have getting to a friends house last night because I really didn't trust myself to be alone. I haven't had a positive thought in over a week. I feel like these last 2 years working on 6th has aged me 15. I've lost all my dreams and aspirations and now just want to live in peace growing, hunting, and fishing for my own food far away from the filth that is humanity. I've lost all hope and drive for politics (Kucinich's loss was a death blow to me). The only thing left that I care about is my best friend, his wife, and their child- who live far away and will probably have to cancel their trip to see me because of court and my living situation.

I am truly at my wits end. I am not the same person I was two weeks ago.