Literary Las Vegas: Ross Fried

Ross Fried’s life fell apart when his parents divorced. His mother left, his father uprooted him, and eventually Fried ended up couch surfing with friends, homeless in high school. A move to Las Vegas, with assistance from his grandparents, put him on his feet. As an adult, he faced more hurdles overcoming gambling addictions and overeating. Now a body builder, property management consultant and motivational speaker, Fried shares his story in the book “From Reckless to Recovery.”

Excerpt:

Exhausted, I lay down on the floor and fell into a deep sleep. It lasted three hours. I was awakened by the sound of gunshots. Panicking, I grabbed my bag and ran to the bathroom. I curled up on the floor between the toilet and the shower and began to cry. Waking up eight hours later, I realized that it was my birthday. I had just turned 18 and was finally an adult.

Weeks passed and I knew I was adjusting to my surroundings because the prostitutes became my familiar neighbors, hypodermic needles were common trash, and the sounds of gunshot were as startling as thunder.