My father was a part of my life long enough to have a child with my mother, and 16 years later, that still remains the lone role he plays in my life. He may as well have been an anonymous donor. My “dad” does not live up to his duties as a father. In keeping with tradition of uninvolved fathers, my younger siblings’ father is also unaccounted for. The absence of both men threw me into the role of the responsible young man that my mom needed. While the strain of this duty was at times burdensome, my motivation to help my mom, brother, and sister has taught me how to take on responsibility in a short amount of time, and it drove me even more for the next step in my life, college.
With that motivation in mind, I will not let myself become a statistic in Chicago. Many people in the black community are negatively affected by growing up without a father. Turning to gangs and drugs to feel connected, these people feel like the streets are the only option for them, but I did not let this community epidemic take me. I made the choice to go to school and when I was outside of school, I played sports or helped around the house. With football, baseball, and church, I am able to keep my mind and soul on track and to focus on what is best for me and my family. I cannot grow up only thinking about myself. With everything I do and say, I have my self and family in mind. I go to school everyday with an “I can do it” attitude. I do my homework, and I always help others if I can. I choose to surround myself with people that only help me along. Doing all these things has helped me stay out of trouble and on the right path.
That path, even though it is the right path, is not necessarily the easiest. At the age of ten, I gave up my bedroom to sleep in the front room so that my siblings could have a room. As a teenager, often my friends invited me to go out to eat or see a movie, but instead, I watched my little brother and sister, fed them and made sure they washed up and went...