The post below is the third in our series of submissions from the Long Beach Writers, a group of students in Literacy Workshop classes given by Devon Day at Wilson High School. The Long Beach Writers are working throughout the summer on their writing and submissions for the Long Beach Post, as of today, the last day of classes, over thirty students have signed up to continue meeting with Day and their classmates and continue their writing. The big story behind the story is their raising funds to go to Inwood, West Virginia to meet their pen pals and experience first hand the similarities and differences in culture between Inwood and Long Beach.
The submission below, like all of our Long Beach Writer submissions, is with the consent of the student; in this case like many we will post names have been changed at their request. Our first two submissions from Victor and Rudy were good introductory pieces; today’s submission takes us more into the daily life and thoughts of Day’s students. What is revealed, and will continue to be revealed as more students contribute, is the positive impact Day and her Literacy Workshop are having on their lives. Jen, who contributes below, says it all in her last line; it underscores the importance of the class to so many students and their goal of using their writing to learn about other individuals and cultures.
Rocky Start
By Jen
I go to Wilson High, I’m a freshman, I’m fifteen years old and I’m in Literary Workshop. We are planning to go to West Virginia; so I want to tell you a bit about my life and how I live day by day. So I’m going to start my own conversation. Alright, so what I have done lately is go to school as always, I have improved my grades, my mom recently had a baby, [Winter Line] drum line competition season is over so try-outs are coming up and I’m confident that I’m going to make it because I’m a returning veteran with experience (and I’m not being conceited.) My birthday just passed and I’m having my Quinceòera and I’m ready to do my confirmation [I’m Catholic].
Anyway I wanted to tell you about my life. My teacher Ms. Day encourages us to open up to you guys. It’s kind of hard for me to be open because I’m so used to keeping everything to myself and sucking everything up but today I’m going to try to open up to you and maybe tell you some things I wouldn’t tell to anyone normally. So, I was born in San Diego, California. Before I was born my dad was very violent and abused my mom a lot. He was drunk most of the time and was very violent. One day he was wasted and got a knife. My mom got freaked out and just ran out of the door, but that didn’t stop my dad. He followed her and tried to kill her because he told my mom that he didn’t want a baby because he hated babies, and that baby was me. My mom went to live with my Aunt Jane that also lived in San Diego. My mom lived with them for a while. I was born and lived in San Diego for 6 months and then I moved to Long Beach with my other Aunt Lucy who later on became my godmother.
I had a great (and kind of spoiled) childhood. My Aunt Lucy and her husband (my uncle James) couldn’t have babies so I was the only kid in the house for ten years. My mom I guess you can say was a pretty wild, hot mom. She always went to parties and left me behind with my aunt and uncle while she went with her other crazy friends. I loved my mom a lot though. I was very close to her and every time when I was little, we hung out and went to the mall. We would dress exactly like each other. My mom is very young; so sometimes it would look as if we were sisters. But one day when she went to a concert everything changed.
My mom got remarried with a guy named Andy who is now my stepdad and we moved out of my uncle and aunt’s house. To be honest I never liked him. I never knew exactly why I disliked him; I was just had a tingly feeling in my gut that he was bad news. But anyway I was right. Last year over the summer my stepdad cheated on my mom. I was so mad; I wanted to cut his head off. The day that he got caught in the act my mom told him either you stay with me and the kids [I have a little brother (4), sister (2) and newborn baby brother), and while this was happening, she was pregnant. And my stepdad chose the other girl. My mom was devastated but not for long I guess.
He just came back last week and she is giving him a second chance. He lives there now and I can’t stand seeing him. I don’t talk to him at all because sometimes I feel like cussing him out but I don’t. It’s just been hard for me, but not my mom. That’s why I try to seem like I’m alright from the outside when really I’m burning of anger in the inside.
But that’s one stage of my life I’m going through now. But about two or three years ago I went through a tough stage in my life. I used to cut. I don’t really know why I did those stupid scars that I did. Cutting was my way of dealing with things. As I told you I was really close to my mom. Well, about three years ago it seemed like she abandoned me. We always used to have fun and play around. Since three years ago she didn’t touch me or kiss me or ever show me affection or love. She wouldn’t talk to me anymore so the only person or people I had in this world, or thought it seemed was God and me. I didn’t want to cut but I still did anyway. It’s hard to explain but the point is that I cut and I was stupid for doing that. Cutting for a while was a drug for me; it was so addictive. I’m not or never was an “emo chick” for your information. If you saw me, you wouldn’t even think I used to do that. Anyway it was an addiction and nobody knew about it until my best friend and ex-boyfriend told me to get help. And I did. I got help and wasn’t cutting anymore. Even now I still don’t do it.
Well I guess this has been my life. Maybe sounds boring or traditional but really; it was challenging for me to open up the true reason why I am doing this is to realize our dreams to go to West Virginia and meet our pen pals. Through my writing, my life is changing.
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You can help send Jen and the other Long Beach Writers to West Virginia to meet their pen pals! To make a donation contact me, or check future posts by the LBWriters for donation information.
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