Sunday, May 1, 2016

People Love A Good Come Back Story

I grew up with a father who slept 18 hours a day from being in miserable pain and a mother who would pop in and out of my life between random men. Most in my family thought I was destined to become just like my mother. In and out of jail and a pretty extensive history of lying and stealing. I have to say in my teens I was very close to becoming a spitting image of her. I became a sixteen year old train wreck from hell. When I wasn't sleeping with every man that would bat his eyes at me I was skipping school to get high with anyone that would offer. I gave up at trying to be anything at all. I dropped out of high school and started couch hopping at the age of 17. I didn't have a licence or a diploma or a clue at how to be a human being at all. I blamed everyone else for my actions and attitudes. I truly thought I had been dealt a hand that was unfair and there was no way I could ever escape the hell fire every where.
I was introduced to a group of people at the age of 18 that gave me a big dose of reality. I can't say that they gave me hugs and hot chocolate and told me everything would be ok because they didn't. They gave me a big pile of honesty. They held me to a higher standard and put a boot up my ass. They taught me how to be a decent human being and to care about those around me and how my actions and attitudes effected those that cared about me when I really didn't deserve to be cared about. How they accomplished this seemingly impossible task? They invaded my life! They would show up and make me volunteer for things I didn't give a crap about such as helping strangers move. Or cooking dinner with hyper happy women for a group for once again strangers and nope I wasn't getting paid for any of this. I also was not allowed to expect anything in return or even a thank you.
I can't say that it was always good in this group but they taught me to think of something other than myself. Did you know there were other people in the world other than me? I had no clue! The one thing that they did not teach me was how to love myself in a healthy way. You always hear how you need to learn to love yourself but I had that pegged in the most unhealthy way. I thought that loving myself meant I did whatever I wanted to even if it hurt those around me.
So I started my comeback at age 19. I started with getting my GED. I manged to pass all of the tests the first time around. I got a job at the only place that would hire I 19 year old girl with little work experience and no drivers licence..... McDonald's. Yeah that was a blow to my ego... I promised myself that I would work there for a year and I would get my licence and then find another job. Was it fun? No. Did I hate that job more than anything? Yes! I thought about giving up everyday. I truly could not tell you why I didn't. I managed to do what I set out to do. I got my licence and I worked at a job I hated for a full year. No I didn't just bounce back and my life became magical. I am 25 now and I still realize I have a lot to do. That is one reason I chose to start this blog. Everyone can make a comeback and everybody has control of their attitudes and actions and I have a lot of experience with both. I am not expecting to become this huge deal in the world but if I can help one person out there who is a little lost and finds some hope in my story then I have accomplished what I have set out to do.
This is only the beginning
. I am excited to share my adventure with you.

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