Los Angeles

Dear Odalis,

Odalis I write this letter to inform you that you're one of the most important person in my life. I feel proud to have a friend who is such a good person who I can always count on. Remember when we met in Ms.Dueñas’ class, when I made you laugh by the way I say whatever comes to mind and because I'm weird and annoying. We started to hang out. We had that speech we had to do for Dean, and that day I walked you home and later opened up to you because you showed me you were trustworthy. I think you are a go to problem solver because you help me out when I am in my lowest or when I’m stressed and when I just want to leave or destroy things like the hulk because I'm so mad. You know everything about me. I want to thank you because you showed me that trusting people is a different way to deal with things other than fighting. I promised you that I would stop fighting and I will keep it because I am a man of my word. I also want to keep that promise to myself because it will bring no good for me, for my future kids, and the little family I will have one day. I also want to give thanks to you for allowing me to open up to you like those times we would walk home, I appreciate it.

You could probably relate to my story because we come from similar communities but  Los Angeles can be a beautiful city but could also be a horrible and dangerous city. Where you see mothers cry because their child died in the middle of a gun shootout of two gangs. Where you see people working 8 or more hour shifts just so their families could have a roof on top of their heads and have food on their table. Where you see kids suffering because they don't have the support they need from their parents as much as they want to.

I grew up in a gang infested neighborhood and it was easy to go into the wrong path and end up in a crew or gang.  I am surrounded by bad influences and good ones all of which changed my life through time.

I’m glad that I had a father figure, not a lot of people in the world have that. My father taught me a lot while growing up like the art of respect, know your limits, and always have an open mind for everything. In fear of my father getting deported my family moved out of the neighborhood where I lived for most of my life.  It affected my brother and I a lot because we spent all of our childhood in El Sereno, then suddenly we moved. When we moved I was seven and couldn’t understand what was happening.  After we moved away from my childhood home my family moved two more times. Constantly moving houses affected me in many different ways primarily my education and my social skills.  Every time I started a new school I was behind in my academics and I felt unaccepted by other students.  Now that I’m wiser and mature I understand why my family had to constantly move. I worked with my father this summer painting walls and preparing the school he works at for the new academic year. I worked a job that required a lot of hands on work, long hours in the sun, and that required learning to work as a team. I learned to appreciate my father and the sacrifices he has made for our family. It also made me realize that he was the one that made me the man I am today.

A positive moment that happened in my life recently was when I started my freshmen year at Roosevelt High School.  I went from being a  D and an F student in middle school to transform into an A and B student who is currently active in numerous extracurricular activities in high school. I feel very proud of myself for getting good grades and making my family proud.  I internalized all of the advice that I received from my family and I decided to do better in school.  Not only do I earn good grades but I also found my motivation, I met a person who motivates me since the day I met her. She has encouraged me to become a better person.  I was also accepted into a college preparation program called “Upward Bound” this program offers me plenty of resources such as, college awareness , tutoring, and learning about different topics in gender workshops where I can express and distress freely. Upward Bound has taught me that anyone can accomplish their dreams as long as you work hard and stay motivated.

With one thing you do wrong, you can end up dead, you can end up heading towards the wrong direction, or you can end up with an addiction to drugs or alcohol. If you say something to a gangbanger they don't want to hear, you certainly will end up stabbed, jumped, shot, or worst case scenario your family can end up hurt.   It's easier to fall down the wrong path then succeed in life. I get asked (“hit-up”) every other day if I belong to a gang and  it is tiring.  I feel that because my complexion looks like a cholo doesn’t mean I am one. Some of my old  friends (“homies”) stare at me a certain way because I moved out of  the hood.  

I am still not sure about the university I want to attend.  It's either between Cal State LA or UC Merced.  I would like to attend Cal state L.A because I have researched and found great things about the engineering program. Also after speaking to a UC Merced representative I learned that UC Merced offers great opportunities and resources to engineering students.  I am planning on majoring in Mechanical engineering. I plan on graduating college in the year 2023. After graduating I will get an engineering  job and build my dream car.  If I could start from scratch I wouldn’t change anything, same hood, same struggle, same problems, they have led me to who I am today.

Sincerely,

Christopher Talamantes

 

This poem is about: 
My family

Comments

Talamanteschristopher

grateful

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