by MR, Sacramento
A time I put in hard work was a couple months ago. I was locked up and they told me I wasn’t goin’ to graduate on time. They said maybe next year if I put in effort. Mind you I was already in my fourth year and I didn’t have no credits.
Damn near felt like dropping out, but being locked up was my advantage ‘cause all I had was time to focus on my credit recovery. I really thought it was impossible. I had six credits as a senior, so I asked the teacher in the hall what I can bring back to my cell. Like if she can give me packets.
Slowly my credits was goin’ up. Went from six, to twenty, to fifty, to like eighty within two months. It was all dedication, I swear. Whole time it made my time go faster, distracting my mind, and me.
I gotta daughter so I was always thinkin’ I don’t wanna have to be a hypocrite in the long run and’ tell her to graduate when I never did.
I wanted to set an example and I know I’m young. I could have always done it later but faster. I got it done faster. I can get it over with. There was only like ten more credits I needed when I got released from juvie. I really thought I couldn’t do it, but I did it and I ended up graduating early, like a couple months before June.
That felt so good, lemme tell you, I would have never thought. For four years I avoided school. Not that I was illiterate or anything, but I think my bigger problem was I was interested in the wrong shhh.
I damn near regret it all now but man, if I could go back, I would. I remember in eighth grade, everyone kept tellin’ me in the blink of an eye, time gon’ fly by so fast. And it felt like forever, but I don’t know where time went when I was messing up and having fun. I missed out on a lot of things I should have just listened to.
I wished I did and before I know it, I’m eighteen in the mess I could have avoided. It’s crazy. Never would have thought I’d be here, but everything happens for a reason and what I’ve been through definitely opened my eyes. I worked really hard to graduate.
At first, I didn’t want it then. I wanted it more than anything and I ain’t gon’ lie, it’s damn near the best feeling. Like I did that, no one did that for me, no one could have taken it from me except myself.
I made a ton of excuses up over the years, but it all caught up, and I know if no one else is proud of me, I’m proud of my damn self. And now, I know I can really do anything I want as long as I put my mind to it and never give up. But I’ll forever be appreciative for being locked up. It helped me see things more clearly.