I can clearly remember when I was 16 and I was staying in Chicago, I moved out the house I grew up in to stay with my aunt. The reason was because we were saving up money to move to California. I spent my entire sophomore year there, I’d wake up and there was always a bacon smell in the morning. I know bacon sounds random, but that’s all I would usually smell. I woke up for school every morning at like 5:30 A.m ? My alarm ring tone was “Run this Town by Jay-Z.

The school I attended was called Yorkville high school. It was a very small school and kids would seriously wear camouflage and cowboy boots all day long, and always drove pickup trucks because it was a hick school. All I remember telling myself, I’m not going to take the time to get to know anybody because I’m not staying for long”. Day after day I wondered when we were finally moving. Then, my parents tell me we have to stay for the rest of the year. When I arrived “home” it would usually smell like fried chicken even there was never any cooked. There was this white table in the middle of the living room, we would eat there and clean it all the time, but for some reason it was never really clean. My mother was in the room next to me she would usually just lay around all day. The television was already on CSI. I Would barely speak to her. “How was school?” she asked. “fine” is what I would always say to her. My father as I recall became more distant. That’s not the point though. The point is that someone can live somewhere the living conditions are horrible and keep putting up with the bullshit that you are dealt. You learn to adapt and overcome. Eventually you become numb to things. You learn to also not be a victim to things. All i knew is that i wanted to leave Chicago and there was nothing i could to, only thing i could do is wait for the summer when i finally did move. The feeling you get when you wake up and the helplessness or the inability to change anything your going through. I do recall that i stayed at my aunts house for a little over a year and that i was starting to accept everything about it more. i mean what csn you do when the government has many other families in that same predicament. these are the cards we are usually dealt and what do we have to do? just grin and bear and say “this is alright” or will you decide within yourself it will not always be like this and change your life. that's what i did and decided to change start fresh and move. i know its cliche but its the truth, “when life gives you lemons you make lemonade”.