Herman Lee Mayse Life hasn’t been easy for Herman Lee Mayse. Struggles with drugs, illness and anger have made his 48 years difficult ones. Born on April 9, 1959, in Rutherfordton, N.C., Mayse was adopted by his father’s first cousin when he was about 9 months old. Although his adoptive family was loving and full with six sisters and eight brothers, Mayse said he believes that his anger began as a result of being given up by his birth mother and father and growing up knowing very little about them. Mayse has been researching in an attempt to learn more about his birth parents, so that he can write about them in his autobiography. He has two volumes planned and has already started on one and chosen the titles for both: “Gratefulness: I’ll be All Right Someday” and “I’ve Been Through the Fire.” His goal in writing is to share his struggles, how he overcame many of them and how he continues to work for a positive future every day. For years Mayse drank and used drugs. This behavior caused him to be turned out by family members and to have trouble with work, money and housing. In 1997 he met his wife, Quillia, and they married the next year. Mayse was still using drugs and trying to hide it from his wife until 2000 when he decided to come clean and enrolled in a rehab program. Just as things should have been looking up, Mayse began to experience aches and pains, which were eventually diagnosed as acute pancreatitis. To get his health back on track, Mayse had to spend over a year in the hospital. It was a difficult period, but his wife’s constant support helped him pull through. “Every day that I stayed in the hospital, she went to work, came to see me, prayed and went to church,” Mayse said. Recently, Mayse’s health has been better, but he still struggles. He also continues to work hard at keeping the other elements of his life in check. He’s now enrolled in a culinary program so he can learn to be a chef and proudly wears its black uniform. “You learn from your mistakes,” Mayse said. “I can’t take it back. I can’t change it. I just have to move forward.”   Favorite book? Shaka Zulu Favorite food? Jumbo shrimp and broccoli Favorite movie? Shaka Zulu Favorite music? Frankie Beverly and Maze Why do you sell Street Sense? It’s a way of giving back to the community and to help other homeless people realize they don’t have to stay where they are and to motivate myself. Street Sense keeps me focused and in check with my anger. It’s like therapy for me. How did you become homeless? I became homeless because I chose to live the life of the street – gang bangin’ and doing drugs and alcohol. I just didn’t care. My family cut me off and I couldn’t go to nobody, couldn’t go to no shelter. Since I’ve been to rehab, though, my family has accepted me back.