I’d like to share my story with those headed down a destructive path. I’d tell them to stop and think; there’s a better way.
I’ve been in prison a long time, long enough to know I’ve had enough. I came in young, just 18, straight from the California Youth Authority. I was lost, traumatized, and reckless, but even then, I wanted to learn, maybe even be better. I made things hard on myself.
I came from a broken home. My mother was a heroin addict, and my real father was stabbed to death when I was still in her womb. No one ever told me what really happened; all I remember is feeling angry, sad, and hurt. Somehow, I survived heroin addiction in the late ’80s to early ’90s.
Today, I’m no longer lost. I’ve found myself, and I want to help others. Fourteen years sober and fighting to get out. I go to my services and ask God to lend me the strength to keep going. I’d like to share my story with those headed down a destructive path. I’d tell them to stop and think; there’s a better way.
If there are any open-minded people out there who feel they can relate to my journey of selfless service, I welcome all letters and support.
