environment, religion, culture........change in beliefs
i grew up in the inner city. my mama worked two full-time jobs and my daddy didn't live with us. he was a good man but not so good of a father. he took me hunting every now and again but was more interested in winning the heart of my older brother. my older brother was a brainiac/athlete and we always knew he would grow up to be whatever he wanted (which he did). my mama was (and still is) bi-polar, which is a mental condition that makes her up one minute and down the next. just as consistant or should i say inconsistant as the mood swings, was her split personality(s). mental and physical abuse was handed out on a daily basis. it didn't matter why, whether we dropped a perfectly clean fork on the floor or if someone called too late..... we got our a$$ beat. while my mama was gone it was up to my older sister to raise us. she did the best she could but she was only three years older than my brother and seven years older than myself....... so we pretty much ran the streets. my older brother had one philosophy towards me, DONT EVER EMBARRESS HIM!! whether we were playing backyard football or if it was a good ole fashion back alley brawl, i was expected to win no matter what. if i didn't i would get it worse from him when we got home. you can say we were pretty close (about as close as two brothers that couldn't stand each other but we were pretty much all we had). as we grew older he moved on and i was left to fend off our neiborhood enemies by myself. we had no religion in our lives, we really were never taught any morals. of course we were very polite but devious in our own way. to put it lightly, we were con artists. i committed crimes on a regular basis and had no value of human life. i was getting high and drunk everyday and in my eyes there was no God. All of my buddies were the same way. i couldn't hold a full-time job.... not even a part-time job for that matter. the only reason i graduated highschool was because of my older brother. the day i turned 19 i was shot three times in the chest by somebody who i had beat with a tire iron a few months before..... needless to say he was pretty pissed off. after three months in the hospital (and more than a handful of near death experiences, which that's a whole other topic) i recovered from the ordeal. at that moment my life came to a Y. one road was pretty much the end of the road, the other was the US military. i chose the military and after many waivers, i got in. i wish i can say that this was the end of my ten day binges and life at 100 mph pace but it wasn't. after four years of partying (with a brief pause while i was in desert storm) i resumed my life of crime. i moved from city to city until i ended up home. i lasted in my mama's home for one night. i went to jail and my daddy came and bailed me out. once again my life came to a Y. one way was hell the other was a slow life in the mountains. i unwillingly chose the mountains. that was six years ago and although i still drink occasionally, i have a wife, kids, my own business, a couple of nice trucks, a dog, cats the whole works. I hunt just about everyday and enjoy the "slow" life. before it was snoop dog and dr dre, now it is david allen coe and waylen jennings. who i once called rednecks are now my closest friends. i love to hunt and love to fish. i love my life. i just hope that my "punishment" doesn't come too soon. i hope i haven't fullfilled the "plan" just yet. cuz i love this life and i'm still waiting to kill my first monster buck sorry this was so long but i just needed to express myself!!! thanks for listenen!!! God bless you all!!!
RE: environment, religion, culture........change in beliefs
Touching story. I hate to hear about all the bad things you had to deal with growing up, but they probably have made you appreciate today more than those with a silver spoon. Be proud of who you are, not necessarily the events that lead you to be who you are. Sounds like your on the right track now..........the one that requires a 4 x 4 or walk. Us "Good 'ole boys" aint that bad.
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Gun control? My gun. My control.
Semper Fi
RE: environment, religion, culture........change in beliefs
i got away from the city and realized there was a lot more to life than drugs and liquor. i found me a good "mountain" woman and she showed me something that i've never really had before........love.
RE: environment, religion, culture........change in beliefs
When you can see and talk about the problem then you pretty well have it made. I had a few rough spots but was lucky enugh to start out where you ended up. I thank god for that. He has always been a big part of my life. I was raised about as opposite as you can get from the earlier life you lead. I am however very glad to see where you ended up. God bless you all is the greastest gift you can wish on someone. Thank you. God bless you as well.
RE: environment, religion, culture........change in beliefs
Although our stories are different i know exactly what you're talking about. I too love the great outdoors but i didn't get to hunt and fish and enjoy things like that growing up. I was raised in an abusive alcoholic home myself and my childhood is something that i seldom think of or reflect on. As i grew older my life became filled with hate, drugs, and alcohol. I won't go into detail but i think i turned out ok just as you have and i'm sure you're on the right track now. My life made a complete turn around in March of 1988 when i accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior and he delivered me from a life that i hated into one that i'm blessed to be alive to talk about and i've never looked back. I have my health, a wonderful wife and two kids, a home, a good job and like you said, the works. My kids hunt with me and occasionally my wife goes with me too and we all enjoy God's great outdoors together. I truly have a lot to be thankful for and i thank God for it all. God Bless!
RE: environment, religion, culture........change in beliefs
although i am sorry for what you've had to go through in life, i am glad to see that there is atleast one person out there that i can relate to. although i would like to forget everything that has happened to me, i can't forget it. when i reflect back on why acted the way i did, i think a lot of it that i felt sorry for myself and had the "poor me" aditude. now i see that although my life was rouph, there are some out there that had and still have it roupher than i ever did!!! thanks for sharing!!!
environment, religion, culture........change in beliefs
sorry this was so long but i just needed to express myself!!! thanks for listenen!!! God bless you all!!!
