Timbre Truth (SF)

Backstory:
I met Timbre Truth in Mar 2023 shortly after meeting her partner Murphy. I was actually interviewing Murphy in a diner and he messaged her to come by. Timbre appeared with her beautiful little baby in a pram and I honestly had it in my head that I was just going to do one interview, but then quickly realize Timbre had an incredible story of her own, and some of the most profound statements I've ever heard. At two points in our interview I started to tear up. This is Timbre's story.

About:
Timbre has the sweetest infection smile, sincere blue eyes and incredible resolve. What captures you about Timbre is a modest intelligence that some people might never expect someone homeless to be hiding, but I've spoken to enough homeless people to know better. With her background in writing, Timbre will impress you both with the openness of her heart, her vulnerability and her choice of words. It wasn't a surprise to me when I realized Timbre is a talented songwriter and her first album on spotify will make you sway with her angel like chorus. I'm already excited for her next album. Timbre's backstory however, isn't entirely sweetness.

Timber was born into a family of deep religion and homeschooling. Her mother and father were missionaries in the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, which meant a lot of travel and effectively begging each church for money. Timbre's has a three year older sister was taught piano, and Timbre would sing. Since pentecostal missionaries are not paid, the whole whole family would perform in song to help raise money for their next missionary adventure. Timber was born in in South Carolina, but her childhood also took had her living in South Africa, Australia and ten years of Singapore. This is the life that Timbre knew, but at eighteen years old she went to a woman's college in South Carolina to become a creative and professional writing. Her parents returned to Singapore to recruit followers, and slowly fell out of touch. Homeschool Timbre, meanwhile, excelled in school and was pretty much a straight A student except for one or two B grades. She told me she did well because she wanted to prove herself, but also realized that she didn't want to become a career professional, nor did she really get the chance. At 22 years old, Timber moved to Portland to help take care of her sister, who at this stage had showed mental illness and suicidal tendencies. Timbre recalls how terrifying it is to live with someone who you feared would have ended their own life each time you left the house and returned. It takes a huge emotional toll. Eventually her sister found a husband and started doing slightly better. Meanwhile Timbre started to fall in love with one of her friend, a charismatic black man called Murphy who she met at a concert. Unfortunately, Timbre's sister disapproved, and whether it was based on religion or race is inconsequential, Timbre was kicked out of the house and started traveling the road with Murphy.

Timbre laughed at the idea that she soon had "a baby and a bus". What she felt with Murphy was an unconditional love she never got from her family, and although she never expected to be living in a bus, she loves the fact that she can now travel on her own terms, and work on her art with the judgement from family. Timbre isn't totally sure if her parents know she is now a mother, and in a couple of times in our interview got teary. That soon transferred to me being teary. Being homeless isn't easy, but I told her that between a loving life with little money, and an life with money but no love or fulfillment, she had chosen right with happiness.

What is the hardest lesson you learned on the streets: You are no different from your greatest fear. During her youth, Timbre was terrified of homeless people, her parents had always told her that they were dangerous, and they were to lock the car doors when driving through certain neighborhoods. And now, of course, Timber is homeless. "The most growth happens when you embody your deepest fear".

Something you are proud of: (1) "My little family" and (2) "My ability to adobe and change".

What tips might you offer someone newly homeless: (1) Buy baby-wipes when you can, it's basically "a shower in a bag". (2) "Try not to let people's disregards and disgust of you keep you from smiling at them anyway". It is when Timbre said that last line I started to tear up. She basically was saying that some people out there will "ask you not to exist" once you become homeless. It's beyond being invisible, it's a form of prejudice just as toxic as racism. Yet somehow Timbre is and will remain a happy spark of light. Deeply thoughtful, but endlessly generous.

What are your aspirations: Timber has found a producer to work with, and is excited to work on her next album with a more professional setup versus her first album done in solo. She's never written a book before, but she'd love to write a children's book the explains epigenetics (obviously without the word epigenetics in the title) and together we came up with the idea for a children's book about homeless and compassion that we could call "the dinosaur without a cave". Her biggest dream, however, is to own land. Somewhere that she and Murphy can park the bus. In her nomadic childhood she never really felt like she had a home, and it was only at the end of the interview I noticed the tasteful tattoos on her knuckles read "come home".