Bio TreeA

Tree

Hometown:
Chicago, IL
Positive since:
2006
Relationship:
Single
Age: 25

I was born in August, 1986 in the crazy streets of Chicago. I spent most of my childhood on the South Side, and when I tell you my life was full of events… it truly was! My parents separated when I was about three years old. This didn’t have much of an effect on me until later in my life. My idol is my mother who spent her entire life working and trying her hardest to mold my three siblings and I into decent citizens.

My older brothers are five and 10 years older than me and by their high school years, drugs and gangs had gotten the best of their interests. This left my sister and I to find our own way through the day-to-day struggles in our neighborhood. With my mother working two jobs, there was a lot of responsibility put on my shoulders. I would awake with my mother already gone for work and a list on the fridge of things to do. Things like styling my sister’s hair, getting us both dressed, and making sure we got to school on time. When we got home at 3pm, at the bottom of that same list was homework time and house chores, as well as what needed to be cooked for dinner. We had no funds to waste, so whatever I made, we ate. I wanted to go out and play with friends but I couldn’t, since I couldn’t leave the house or my sister. When I had all these responsibilities, it’s incredible to think that I was only in 4th grade. My mother extends from a very large family and everyone was loaded with responsibility.

My father was constantly a part of my life (on the weekends.) The only chance for me to go out and play was during the time I spent with my father. But there was no play involved. My father comes from a smaller family, but in their early years, they all went their own way in life. My father discovered that the key to a successful life was knowledge, and he was determined to drill this message into my head. I was given a lot of responsibility and felt pressure from him as well. He felt my life was filled with fun and games with my mom’s large family. He always said, “There will always be another party, birthday, or whatever.” My weekend chores were to read, read, read, read, reread, and read it all over again. If I read too slowly, he would tell me to “start over”. If I missed a word, he would tell me to “start over”. If I didn’t understand it, I had to “define it, write it 10 times, explain it, and then start over.” This presented much stress and anxiety, living with dyslexia. But this made me an A student and a hard worker, great with numbers and maps. I hated my father's teachings, but I can truly say they worked. Until I grew older and was able to admit this fact, my relationship with my father suffered.