Living in a world like this can be scary. Not knowing when or how you may die, fearing that it would be today. I don’t know why nobody has tried to stop this insanity. I guess they’re just too afraid. There is never one moment where you can’t hear the screams of a child being assaulted, or the sirens of a police car going off on the next street. Everyday I walk down the same road, see the same things, and hear the same foul words. I don’t really go home for anything but to sleep if its stormy outside and I rarely ever eat anything at all. So many things are just better undone just for your safety. What exactly is safety anyway? Having gates around your neighborhood, or having nice homes with decent security? In these rough parts of the city, safety is knowing self defense when you get jumped. Safety is trusting nobody and telling nothing to anybody. It sickens me when people drive through here with their windows rolled up and that familiar expression on their faces telling us they don’t want to be here.
Since I was little, I’ve been telling myself that I’m going to get money and move out of this horrible place. Until just recently, I didn’t know how hard that was going to be. I have a dream to be in a better place where stuff like this is cut down to a minimum. But those dreams are often crushed by the nightmare of reality. I don’t have family, and I don’t have friends. I’ve always chosen to stand alone, to be free, and to be independent. I hope that one day, I will find somebody. Someone to care for me and help me as I make my way to the world I wish to live in. they would be the only people I would let get close to my heart. But until that day, I lay here in the park, under the stars, and hope I see the morning.
I wake only to hear the firing of a gun only about two streets away. Although I’ve made it through the night, I sometime wish that I hadn’t. if I cant go to that better place, I’d rather be nowhere at all. Instead of getting up to go and find something to eat, I just stayed here on the bench and began to think. People would often tell me I think too much, and that I need to get over the fact that I’m not going anywhere, and move on. I believe today will be the day, the day that I will run until I can’t breathe anymore. Possibly even, until I’m even out of this trashed city that I can’t stand to see anymore. I hate having to live my life wondering if I’ll see tomorrow.
I didn’t realize how long it was going to take to get out of this horrible place. Even if I did manage to get myself out of the streets, I wouldn’t have the money to support myself. I would be another homeless person ruining the image of a better city.
A lot of gang action takes place where I live. They usually rob banks or convenient stores for money, and most of them end up in jail or a detention center. I’ve never been a part of a gang, but I have definitely gotten myself into the Center a few times. Not that I have done anything wrong, but I tend not to be in the right place at the right time. When I was released from my most recent visit to the detention center, I walked as much as my feet would allow me. I was hoping to see a better life in a neighboring city, but I couldn’t. I wonder if a place like that even exists.
Since I was little, I’ve been telling myself that I’m going to get money and move out of this horrible place. Until just recently, I didn’t know how hard that was going to be. I have a dream to be in a better place where stuff like this is cut down to a minimum. But those dreams are often crushed by the nightmare of reality. I don’t have family, and I don’t have friends. I’ve always chosen to stand alone, to be free, and to be independent. I hope that one day, I will find somebody. Someone to care for me and help me as I make my way to the world I wish to live in. they would be the only people I would let get close to my heart. But until that day, I lay here in the park, under the stars, and hope I see the morning.
I wake only to hear the firing of a gun only about two streets away. Although I’ve made it through the night, I sometime wish that I hadn’t. if I cant go to that better place, I’d rather be nowhere at all. Instead of getting up to go and find something to eat, I just stayed here on the bench and began to think. People would often tell me I think too much, and that I need to get over the fact that I’m not going anywhere, and move on. I believe today will be the day, the day that I will run until I can’t breathe anymore. Possibly even, until I’m even out of this trashed city that I can’t stand to see anymore. I hate having to live my life wondering if I’ll see tomorrow.
I didn’t realize how long it was going to take to get out of this horrible place. Even if I did manage to get myself out of the streets, I wouldn’t have the money to support myself. I would be another homeless person ruining the image of a better city.
A lot of gang action takes place where I live. They usually rob banks or convenient stores for money, and most of them end up in jail or a detention center. I’ve never been a part of a gang, but I have definitely gotten myself into the Center a few times. Not that I have done anything wrong, but I tend not to be in the right place at the right time. When I was released from my most recent visit to the detention center, I walked as much as my feet would allow me. I was hoping to see a better life in a neighboring city, but I couldn’t. I wonder if a place like that even exists.
…
It’s been two years since I got out of the Center. Several times since then, I’ve made a run for it. Finally one time, I managed to make it to the better place I’ve always imagined. I was put into a new center. Not a detention center, but one where I could live. My foster family is taking really good care of me and is making sure I get a proper education. All of that thinking I do in my free time really paid off. I’m in the top ten percent in my school and I got a job that I really love. I feel so happy and excited to finally have all these wonderful things in my life now, including a family who cares for me. I never thought anybody would want to take in a sixteen year-old teenager who lived on the streets.
In my spare time, aside from work, I go to my old neighborhood just to see if anything has changed. Everyday, I see fewer people in the streets and less junk on the sidewalks. I told my foster family about my previous life, and they really listened. They decided to make it their job to fix the problem in that horrible place. I’ve been helping them but school has been managing to steal all of my extra time. Every senior has to write a story or paper on a certain topic. My topic was, "Something that you will never forget". It took me awhile to decide what I would write about. I would sit at the table for hours trying to come to a conclusion. Then finally, my pen started to scribble across the paper and I read the words: "Living in a world like this can be scary. Not knowing when or how you may die, fearing that it would be today…"
It’s been two years since I got out of the Center. Several times since then, I’ve made a run for it. Finally one time, I managed to make it to the better place I’ve always imagined. I was put into a new center. Not a detention center, but one where I could live. My foster family is taking really good care of me and is making sure I get a proper education. All of that thinking I do in my free time really paid off. I’m in the top ten percent in my school and I got a job that I really love. I feel so happy and excited to finally have all these wonderful things in my life now, including a family who cares for me. I never thought anybody would want to take in a sixteen year-old teenager who lived on the streets.
In my spare time, aside from work, I go to my old neighborhood just to see if anything has changed. Everyday, I see fewer people in the streets and less junk on the sidewalks. I told my foster family about my previous life, and they really listened. They decided to make it their job to fix the problem in that horrible place. I’ve been helping them but school has been managing to steal all of my extra time. Every senior has to write a story or paper on a certain topic. My topic was, "Something that you will never forget". It took me awhile to decide what I would write about. I would sit at the table for hours trying to come to a conclusion. Then finally, my pen started to scribble across the paper and I read the words: "Living in a world like this can be scary. Not knowing when or how you may die, fearing that it would be today…"
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