Photo courtesy of 1degree.org ©2010
After sinking into a serious depression, Paul Wittwer decided to die. While staring down the barrel of the same Remington his father had used to commit suicide, he suddenly realized the bathroom wallpaper needed to be repaired. His obsessive-compulsive disorder wouldn’t allow him to carry out his dark task until it was fixed.
Wittwer’s decorator, who he’d known for ten years, wasn’t able to do the work until a week later. Sensing his sadness when she arrived, she reminded him that there was always hope and gave him the name of a psychiatrist who, she assured him, could help.
Diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, Wittwer began eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR), which allowed him to access suppressed memories from the many traumas he had experienced. This enabled him to deal with the unexpressed emotions largely responsible for his depression.
Feeling more hopeful than he had in years, Wittwer took stock of his life and made some difficult decisions. “If you’re buying a can of corn on your credit card, you might have some more significant life needs to attend to,” he jokes. In January 2002, on the brink of financial ruin, he chose to auction his possessions, sell his house in Kentucky, and use his RV as his “home of last resort.”
He traveled the country working as a mergers and acquisitions consultant, sometimes staying at campgrounds, but mostly living in Walmart parking lots. The store’s greeters became his family and would often ask if he was passing through. Wittwer answered honestly, telling them he was living in the parking lot.
“You would be surprised how open people become when you’re willing to drop pretenses,” Wittwer says. “And how rewarding it is when you glide beyond the facade we all keep.” His authenticity drew people out of their own caves of isolation, and they told him the most amazing stories about their challenges. These experiences helped Wittwer to realize that no matter the challenge, help and hope are only “one degree” away.
He continued rebuilding his life, finding his way past the anxiety he felt about how others would perceive his admission of being broke and homeless. With hard work and perseverance, along with the confidence of clients, eventually Wittwer saw his bank account grow.
Wittwer then decided to have gastric bypass surgery and shed nearly one hundred pounds. He purchased property in Tampa, Fla., and fulfilled a boyhood dream, collecting antique Ford panel pick-up trucks. The one thing that hadn’t changed was his keen awareness that help and hope were only “one degree” away. But now, he was the one giving it.
Wittwer loved carrying out his “one degree” message. It gave him joy to quietly pick up a restaurant tab for a family obviously in need or purchase a cell phone for someone who needed a lifeline to a loved one in a hospital. “What it did for my life to serve others is the crucible of what One Degree became and can become,” he says.
"One Degree" by Paul Wittwer
Then the real estate market bottomed out. Wittwer owned two houses in Tampa and property in Arizona. Those investments, combined with a few bad business decisions, left him bankrupt. Wittwer was forced to sell his Ford collection and Kamp Kandu, his beloved RV. “The day I sold it was one of the saddest days of my life,” he admits. “I had given it a joyful name to deal with the ordeal of being homeless.”
Instead of slipping into another depression, Wittwer allowed the experience to invigorate his desire to formalize and structure his dream to share how everyone is only one degree away from help and hope. Today, with the support of many, One Degree is a burgeoning movement that includes a new book about Wittwer’s challenges and his journey of dealing with them. In addition, a television series is in development, and plans for the website include creating ways for people to connect and compiling a list of resources for a variety of challenges.
Wittwer knows his RV travels played an integral role in creating One Degree. “I look back on that year and see how it helped me write a book and create a business model that is the foundation for One Degree,” he says.
There’s no way to gauge how many have already been affected by the philosophy of One Degree and Wittwer looks forward to the number growing. “I’ve been able to express myself about a life of challenge that I hope will help other people,” he shares.
Wittwer’s book, One Degree, is available in print and Kindle forms at Amazon, and as an audio or e-book on his web site, www.1degree.org, where you can also learn more about how the One Degree movement is developing. “My goal is to die penniless,” Wittwer smiles. “And leave a legacy of help and hope.”