Taylor Richards had a very difficult childhood.
Today he is 37 years old, about to complete a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science from Seattle Central College, and he’s employed full-time as a community engagement recovery support specialist.
Sometimes we hear people’s stories of hitting rock bottom.
We also hear from people who have achieved their versions of success after overcoming severe hardship.
Taylor Richards is in between. He’s on the journey. “I want a success story,” he says.
Listen to Blair Daly’s 20-minute conversation with Taylor Richards, in which they discuss Taylor’s upbringing, mental health issues, accepting help from others, and feeling good about life.
‘Few role models, and the ones I had pointed me in the wrong direction’
Below is a lightly-edited transcript of the video above.
Taylor Richards (teaser intro): I’m about to get my bachelor’s degree, which is surprising. I can’t believe it! I’ve got my own place. I have a car. I have a job that I really like a lot, and there’s a lot to be grateful for. It’s just that skipping these stages of development — it’s been really hard on me, and I need to figure out how to just get back on track and feel good about life in general.
Taylor Richards: What I wanted to talk about is mental health; what are the solutions for mental health struggles for men without families, without support. I became homeless pretty young. I came from a really hard environment growing up, and there was not a lot of support for me. Even taking support now is really hard for me because I feel like I have to do this by myself. I think that’s the misconception of a lot of people, especially men — feeling like they have to do this alone.
Blair Daly: What were some elements of your childhood that were most difficult?
Taylor Richards: My dad committed suicide when I was 12. My mom struggled with alcohol and drugs and she ended up going to prison when I was 16. My sisters went to foster care. All the roles models I had pointed me into a direction that was the wrong way. A lot of things happened early on that really stunted my development.
Blair Daly: Where did you grow up?
Taylor Richards: My dad committed suicide when we were living in Alaska. Then I moved down to Vancouver, Portland, Kelso, Longview — those areas. I went to a couple of different high schools. I didn’t graduate alongside my class but I did get my diploma. I was going to go to the military. I was all set and ready to go to the army.
Blair Daly: Where did the idea to go into the army come from?
Taylor Richards: I thought that if I went to the army it was my way out. I thought that I would be taught things and given the skills I needed to live life. I didn’t have a lot of role models growing up. I didn’t know how to take care of myself, so I kind of felt like the army was where I needed to go, and get away.
Blair Daly: What ended up happening that you didn’t go after all?
Taylor Richards: I was on the phone with this sergeant, just about ready to take off to Fort Benning, Georgia, and my mom called me. She said she had gotten out of prison and she wanted to see me before I left. She had actually just met this guy that she married whom she’d only known for a month.
When I went and saw her I thought, ‘Maybe I could stay here, and then I don’t have to go to the military.’ It was a really bad idea.
It was a bad decision that I regret a lot, but I mean maybe the same things would have happened to me if I went to the military. I had this problem with authority, with managing my thoughts — and I still do — but the thing is that I thought my mom was going to save me. But she didn’t. I’ve made decisions like that with relationships. I’ve thought that my girlfriends would save me from myself. I think that’s the misconception of it, where I get stuck in these loops.
That situation of living with me my mom didn’t work out. They ended up starting to do drugs together. It was a huge mess.
Continue hearing Taylor’s story by watching or listening to the complete interview.
See also: Number of Homeless Men and Boys in King County Up 27% from 2022