Small tourist town, Carter’s economy killed it. No tourists very few travelling. Our friends were almost in the same shape and had kids so we had the integrity to not burden them even more. It was literally depression era level economic disaster.
I would never have sat with a bunch of homeless people for 2 years down by the river waiting for something to happen, it sounds like you had some of the homeless mentality which is far different than being a drifter that goes long periods without a home.