When I Was 15
When I was 15, I was a wreck. I was in foster care in Lubbock , Texas . I was lost and alone. I felt like I was always on the outside looking in. I always longed to be a part of something bigger. I longed to just belong. I'd love to be able to tell you some profound story about some fairy godmother who picked me up and dusted me off, but that's simply not true. I look at age 15 as the year I quit wishing on a star for my family to swoop in and rescue the little orphan I had become. I began looking outside at cliques and gangs. I looked to drugs and alcohol to numb the pain of being alone. I bought the idea of gangs becoming my family so much that I never realized I needed to have faith and belong to myself. It wasn't until I was 30 years old and sitting in prison that I discovered I needed to be true to myself and belong to me! There are a lot of children out there going through the same thing I did. If I could tell them all something, it would be to look inside yourself. You will find all the strength and support you've ever longed for. Have faith in yourself. I have faith in you. I have faith in us both.