I had just moved to California, “The Golden State”. The greatest thing that could happen for an eighth grader who loves to play football and hang out with his friend’s right? Wrong, my father had just left us we lost all of our money and having legal problems left and right because everything is under my fathers name and not my mothers, there was also the little fact that we were being followed by the police everywhere because they were after him. In the midst of all this chaos my mother had no idea what to do so she made a quick decision and moved to California where we moved in with my Grandfather.
My Grandfather isn’t the most humble person in the world, with him scarring my mom for life by beating her and shooting her, yes actual bullets from a gun but luckily none of them hit her when she was a child. As for me its not as severe he just screams at me in Spanish with no apparent reason what so ever, he can’t even give the excuse that I talk to much since I don’t even talk to him he just begins to scream at me out of nowhere and finds something to blame me. This was an every day occurrence and I cannot remember one day that this didn’t happen during the time I lived in California. If he were ever able to talk to scientists he would probably blame global warming on me or make some absurd statement about me.
While living in California it was me, my mom, my little sister, and my younger brother living in a small storage room in the backyard of my grandfather’s house. Four people living in one small room with a bunk bed and a separate mattress that we placed on the floor to sleep at night. As for me I slept on the bare floor so my mom could sleep on the separate mattress while my little brother and my little sister slept on the bunk beds. Though the room was small we had little money and lived in a bad neighborhood, it still had everything in the world and that is my family. People were deceiving us left and right trying to take everything we used to have for profit like my fathers tools his left over cars that we could not use anything they can use to gain a profit. These so called “friends” left us in a time of dire need. When we needed them most they left us without help.
What I have learned from the experiences in my so far short but dense life is that it’s not the quantity of the things you own but rather what you own. Appreciate the things you have never be jealous of what others have but rather appreciate what you have. Also there are few people you can truly trust in life, so choose friends wisely. I believe that I have grown up a lot faster then most kids my age and experienced real life much faster but this has prepared me for the hardships in the future. I will tackle my life head on and face my goals and I will achieve them.
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