I grew up in a very poor family in Gloversville,NY. Where my mother had a bf that lived with me and my 5 older other siblings and yes, my father as well. Both of my parents have mental disabilities, and where very unfit to take care of the family.Being beat and misused by my family I would go to school everyday in long sleeves covering the bruises. We never had a car, went to churches and other place to be fed. Watching my mother try to kill her self at the age of 7 I stopped her and remember the ambulance coming to take her away. Not long safter I was taken into foster care we I rebelled and became more of an outcast then ever before, Specially in school. With my two oldest brother being in prison and group homes I was put into a foster home with my Brother, while my two sisters were also put into another home, splitting up the entire family. Once there my brother and I did our best to fit into our new environment, but with not much luck. Soon drugs had taken over my brother and he was taken to rehab, leaving me alone in a world I was not accepted in. Being taken my DSS to a building to see my parents for an HOUR a month almost ensured that my relationship with my family would have to wait until I was an adult. At just the age of 8 years old I to was smoking and doing drugs that led me to a life of crime and joblessness.I soon found my self doing things I knew I shouldn't have but continued to do so.
As time passed I needed something to push me away from the negative life I was living and began to get involved into sports. I did baseball, BMX, Boxing, soccer,and even poetry. None of which I was able to stay involved in because of my behavior. I was in a foster home in Hagamen NY, with a single women that was about 60 years old and her adopted mildly retart son, not the best place for rebellious kid. Thought she tried her best I was unwilling to accept my situation. Trying my best to change and fit in I got the news that her son(her real son) was getting out of prison. Where he spent 18 years for the Attempted rape of his sitter. This resulted in me being forced out of the foster home and put into another, Since I was under 14 years old I didn't have a choice of where I went. Though I stayed in the area I wasn't any closer to my real family. I was placed in a foster home in Amsterdam NY on route 30, A highway, Again away from the friend that started building relationships with when I just started to find people that accepted me. Therefore leading me to restarted again. The foster home I was placed in was with a very heavy set women that was hardly able to move.Where there was a young boy that fully mentally retart. My older brother Don was able to be there as well since he had finished rehab. There was were very mistreated and made to do everything because her lack of ableness. Though we were older and with more freedom as a child I craved structure which I did not get. Though I was get bought nicer clothes from the mall and no longer Walmart and thrift shops, I still felt empty. Where at the last foster home I started doing well, at this one the lack of love and stability lead me to a road of trouble and fighting. Taking my boxing skills as a force that I felt I needed to use, Being one of the only white kids in my area. I should have failed 7th grade but somehow I passed, I did fail 8Th grade. In This foster home the foster mother got sick of me telling the truth to DSS, and started really treated me s a slave like child. Not caring if I got into fights and even attempted to get me jumped by her best friends kids.3 large colored kids that hosted a weekly wrestling in there yard,( to tough kids), Though my brother was scared I was sick of the abuse and stood up to them. As time passed My old foster mother would hear of the things I was saying and at first was unsure if I was telling the truth. But soon would see the truth for her self and called DSS and offered to take us back. And back we went.
Now back at my first foster mothers home I realized that I should take this time to do better and get my self together. Which I started to. But shortly after getting back there my brother that was in foster care with me went to jail at 16 because he started a fire and burnt down a house.And he went to prison. Leaving me alone again in the place I first went to. rejoining with my friends that I had before I fell right back into the negative ways that I had once tried so hard to escape. Soon finding my self in the back of a squad car and off to the jail. Since I was under age I was taken out of foster care and put into a group home in Platz-burg N,Y. This was much different then the foster home where it was just the foster mother my brother her adopted son and my brother. There was lots of kids and even a half where there was females. I was at this group home temp, because the female would throw condoms at me across the divided kitchen. And I even started a fight there between two of the females. I was taken out weeks later and brought to another group home in Valatie ,NY. There it was a all boys group home with 12 children. Best part is I was still able to go to a public school and interact with normal kids that lived with their families, and was influenced by then in a much more positive way.
