I’m originally from New York. I had lived here for nine years until I moved down south into a nice house with my mom, step-sister, and step-father.
My father had been in and out of jail, but I saw him sometimes; we mostly stayed in touch through mail and postcards. Things were good for about three years until I graduated from the fifth grade, then we moved into an apartment.
In what seemed like days later my step dad packed up, left, and never came back. He left my mom, step-sister, and I homeless.
My mom took over for the majority of the time. We struggled. There were times I didn’t eat, and I wore the same clothes for months.
As a teenager I started spacing out on everyone. I was getting in trouble a lot more. I got kicked out of school, our apartment complex . . . everything.
We had to live in family housing shelters for a while. At one point my step-sister left the picture, but then my mother gave birth to my little sister Monet.
We moved back to New York for a year, and I started getting involved with weed and the streets. I was only in the 8th grade.
My mother had to work twelve hour shifts so sometimes I was in the house alone for days. Although my mom had a job we still struggled some days.
My mother did what she could, but it wasn’t enough. I had it rough and I had to provide for myself. She didn’t have the time to care if I was in school or not so I acted out. Juvenile detention turned into jail after a few years.
I just wanted the attention any child would want and should get. I dropped out of school eventually.
Everything seemed to go downhill from there, but then I met my beautiful wife and had a son. That’s when I knew I had to get it together; I had to do what I could for my son.
Now I go to YouthBuild East Harlem. I attend classes every day and sometimes I even take my son with me.
I do what I have to do. I do my work every day and I’m never in trouble . . . for the most part.
I’m just trying to get it together.