Certain struggles that every young person needs to go through to find out what it really means to be an adult. I never went through that. I was a boy inside a man’s body.
Larry, 44
Incarcerated: 19 years
Housed: San Quentin State Prison, San Quentin, California
I haven’t always been triumphant in life. I had a challenging childhood growing up in South Los Angeles. I was 25 years old when I ended the life of another human being. I have served a total of 27 years in juvenile and adult correctional facilities. As an adolescent I was a very skilled poet and began to dream of someday landing a record deal and becoming recognized in the hip-hop community. I made poor choices and landed in juvie. Everything in my life accelerated. I missed my teens and went straight to my twenties. There are things that happen during those years that build a young person’s character. Certain struggles that every young person needs to go through to find out what it really means to be an adult. I never went through that. I was a boy inside a man’s body. I was born with certain gifts but I didn’t have the emotional intelligence to use them in the right way. I was gifted with the ability to lead people and to figure things out in ways that most people can’t. Yet, I didn’t harness the restraint and patience to do the right things with my talents.
Today, I’m making the right moves and channeling my genius into becoming the first resident to leave San Quentin and publish emotional intelligence board games and disrupt the US toy and game industry. Join me and let’s raise the collective emotional quotient around the world.
