I Believe in Forgiveness, against the others who never forgave me, against the boy who shot me, against all odds. I don’t blame the gangsters for what they do & have done, its how they grew up & sometimes their only way of living.

My brother & I are from Minneapolis MN, Minneapolis is known for its crimes.
When I was 12 going on 13 I got jumped into the gang life along with my brother,
we ran with the “West Side Bloods” months went by & all I did was get in trouble, basically growing up too fasts, always at parties, up all night’s, in & out of detention centers, J.S.C & D.O.C I was at a young age & people would tell me “you are just a baby” but I did not listen, I soon go tired of the life style that I was making for my self & wanted out but was told “ Once Your in you can’t crawl out” the WSB “West Side Bloods” heard about It.

I was walking that same night, by the park right next to my middle school, I seen the boys dressed in the colors we wore, red flags, red & black Nikes, Red shirts & black Dickies pants, with their hair combed & slick back, as they walked towards me they asked me “hey mija do you still have your flag?” I took a glance at it & seen it so neatly hanging out of the right back pocket of my skinny jeans, one grabbed it & told me I aren’t going to need it anymore they all did their “Ins” on me & beat me, Burned my tattoo too off, & then I blacked out.

I woke up & it was dark, I heard my cell phone ring, a call from my brother I told him what happened & he was urged to hurt somebody, he did what he did that night & the next day we walked around knowing their was going to be some problems & as we rolled in St. Paul on University Ave. We got shot at & I got hit.

I forgive the boy who shot me, & wish he knew I did, I got his number from a friend & went in his territory when I got out of the hospital I wanted to talk to him & tell him that he don’t have to worry bout my boys doing anything, but when his sister answered the phone she told me his funeral services were going on. The boy was only 14, & for that I forgave everybody in struggles when they done harm against me I would do the same its only what they’re told I learned to forgive when I got my way out, I keep it going & now I feel a little of success & motivation.