My Survival Journey

The Reason for My Survival:

A Personal Essay is very personal to someone who has been through hell and back and to write just one out of many life lessons and inspiring moments learned; doesn’t justify the rest unsaid.

Like a lot of kids who are in a hurry to make big decision for themselves they push the envelope and sometimes to far… some sadly never recover and others perish.

In my experience the harsh streets of NYC was no exceptions.

In my early teens I befriended a big time drug dealer who took me under his wing.

In order to hang with the older crowd my brother and I stood out later and later to which our mother eventually scolded us and than gave us a stern warning… “you better come home when I tell you to come home!”

That night my friend the big time drug dealer was in an altercation with another so call friend.

He wanted us to get into his car but of course we couldn’t we had to be home soon.

He was annoyed with our decision and basically called us wimps.

After we arrived home and ate dinner we suddenly heard gun shots ring.

Later we discovered that the sounds we heard from down the block were from a gun that killed our friend.

Shortly later the drug crew broke up… the pervasive thought they’d rather live than die.

Through his death he turned many lives around… it’s sad that it took that situation for many in the crew to realize they were on the wrong path.

If that day my brother and I had made the choice not to listen to our mother we too would not be hear today.

My mother saved our lives, SHE is my hero.

I wrote Mafia Gods & Wizards because I wanted to portray a true depiction of my generation that has never be seen visually.

I also wanted to give a voice to black and Latinos and to closeted gay teens in addition to Boneirmo’s. (Born into the mob) teens.