The X is where I am from

As a child my family moved around a lot, you see my family was homeless for about three years living in a city shelter. Due to the irresponsibility of my mother who didn’t comply with the rules and regulations of the program that was paying the family's rent at the time. Then we had the fact that she always had something going on that we had to move every year. We lived all over the New York States and New York City. From the age of 4 till about 10 we moved because of my mother then after that, we moved because her so-called husband was a registered sex offender nobody wanted in their neighborhood. The school was so hard always being the new kid, so we never made any friends.

Then we settled in a neighborhood where everyone minds their own business and mail from NYPD was ignored. So not too many people have seen my mother’s husband's ugly face that just moved into the neighborhood. We still didn’t make any friends; we were not allowed to go outside or look out of our windows until we were much older. That and the fact that the police was always called to my house because of domestic issues. The neighborhood knew enough; the school was a bit more secure at least. So for me home has always been a temporary thing, never knowing what was going to happen next.

I was born in Brooklyn New York, but that’s not my hometown, lived in the Bronx most of my life so for me that’s my hometown. No matter how much people despise the Bronx or talk bad about this place I love it. I am still here the only one of my family members left. This is where I learned to hate myself as well as love myself. This is where my own family has grown into the best blessing I can ever have asked for. This is where I work, live, and play. Most people ask me why won’t I leave and I always say, I was once that lost child that no one pays attention to. If I did not have any fight left in me I too would have been lost like so many in The Bronx. I stay because in my career I have helped other families and children to learn how to break the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse. I am the voice for those who may not know how to stand up from themselves. At times I say to myself that I just want to move away, but it is not because of the brought itself. It’s because the school system still sucks and I want a better education for my children. Then I remember all of those extended family members who grew up in better schools, who don’t have the character of a fighter, or look at the world with two different views. I want my children to be grateful for what they have and what I can provide for them. But I want them to know how to have the courage, determination, and smartness to go after whatever dream they want. I believed that when you come from everything not too many people want anything else. But when you come from nothing your hunger is real. I teach them to treat everyone with the same respect as the next regardless of their income bracket. My children may not know what it is to be really poor and how not going to school means you don’t eat that day. But they know it exists, and they know how to help and behave accordingly. They have conviction at a young age, they had a friend for all walks of life. My children go to private school but have children in that setting that is touched by all kinds of things. The children they befriend in the neighborhood have come from all walks of life and they learn to treat as they want to be treated and help if they can. So for me yes The Bronx is my hometown and will all be, but home is where your family is.