Having survived my hood during the blood drenched days of the grimy 90’s I lean on what got me though it.
My hood of 60,000 lead all of New York in homicides when the city lead the country. East New York would average around 130-200 murders a year. I’ve should’ve be killed about 100 times before 95.
Having survived my hood during the blood drenched days of the grimy 90’s I lean on what got me though it.
My hood of 60,000 lead all of New York in homicides when the city lead the country. East New York would average around 130-200 murders a year. I’ve should’ve be killed about 100 times before 95.
These were the 1800-2200 homicides per year during my adolescence. Sure my mom’s was thrilled.
These were “I’ll be dead by 18 or maybe 21…if not dead maybe locked up” years.
It was common to kick it with your friends and casually discuss your funeral look, suit for mom and the family or freshest fit for the last hurrah?
My moms came to me at 17 and said “what if you aren’t dead by 18 or 21, are you just gonna walk in somewhere and demand a job off that reality”?
It stopped me cold. I had to stay engaged. I had to keep reading. Stay curious and stay out of East New York as much as you can under 18.
It worked. That strategy is how when the next round of bullshit cropped up in my 30’s.
2011 I get evicted. Same thing in 2013. I was THIS close to being homeless. Had to live with an older Dominican Jehovah witness couple in the Bronx for almost five years.
Cut to today. I make the most ever in my life and because I didn’t make a bad situation worse-no kids, cars or anything to rock my world financially I’m not out here struggling.
I’m killing it. My current job is how I made a shit ton of money in 2020. You read that right.
And I work in security! (Too much to get into but the job is fire life safety director a very New York job not really used elsewhere in the country. It’s tied to NYC’s 300+ commercial buildings).
I only got here because in my two worst moments of my life I stayed locked in. It meant at times completely ignoring the things I can’t partake in or news that means very little since I was dead broke. I found ways to stay busy that didn’t involve money.
And even though now money is not the issue it once was those low income distractions work just fine with king dumbass back in office.
Having survived my hood during the blood drenched days of the grimy 90’s I lean on what got me though it.
My hood of 60,000 lead all of New York in homicides when the city lead the country. East New York would average around 130-200 murders a year. I’ve should’ve be killed about 100 times before 95.
These were the 1800-2200 homicides per year during my adolescence. Sure my mom’s was thrilled.
These were “I’ll be dead by 18 or maybe 21…if not dead maybe locked up” years.
It was common to kick it with your friends and casually discuss your funeral look, suit for mom and the family or freshest fit for the last hurrah?
My moms came to me at 17 and said “what if you aren’t dead by 18 or 21, are you just gonna walk in somewhere and demand a job off that reality”?
It stopped me cold. I had to stay engaged. I had to keep reading. Stay curious and stay out of East New York as much as you can under 18.
It worked. That strategy is how when the next round of bullshit cropped up in my 30’s.
2011 I get evicted. Same thing in 2013. I was THIS close to being homeless. Had to live with an older Dominican Jehovah witness couple in the Bronx for almost five years.
Cut to today. I make the most ever in my life and because I didn’t make a bad situation worse-no kids, cars or anything to rock my world financially I’m not out here struggling.
I’m killing it. My current job is how I made a shit ton of money in 2020. You read that right.
And I work in security! (Too much to get into but the job is fire life safety director a very New York job not really used elsewhere in the country. It’s tied to NYC’s 300+ commercial buildings).
I only got here because in my two worst moments of my life I stayed locked in. It meant at times completely ignoring the things I can’t partake in or news that means very little since I was dead broke. I found ways to stay busy that didn’t involve money.
And even though now money is not the issue it once was those low income distractions work just fine with king dumbass back in office.
Find that peace and lock in.