Personal Narrative: My Father's Substance Abuse

“All the adversity I 've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.” Walt Disney . Who would have thought Walt Disney experienced obstacles? However, obstacles are a fact of life, no matter who you are.

I hunched over my desk, eyes scrutinizing the thorough biology notes, when our house phone rang. Immediately, a machine asked “Would you like to accept Carlos Carrillo’s phone call from the Lancaster County Prison?”. Wide-eyed, I recognized my father’s name, accepted the call and handed the phone to my sister. Already panicked at having the prison call our home, she hung up with a face displaying utter perturbation. “What happened?

I am passionate about the medical industry and I aspire to major in chemistry and then attend medical school, aspiring to become an anesthesiologist. However, my strong motivation to become successful in the medical industry stems from a negative experience. It was likely the greatest challenge I had ever faced in my life. Just last year, my grandmother began to suffer the ill effects of complications due to her diabetes. It was a traumatizing experience for her, as well as for my family.

Challenges are events that are used to change you for the better should you choose it accept it. The challenges I have faced wasn’t a matter of choice but of something that I have no control over. Some people will tell you it’s a burden, some say it’s an entitlement or free ride. Science says it’s just having a high amount of melatonin due to geographical location for survival. To me though, being black probably one of the biggest challenges a human can have in America at least I find it terribly perplexing.

When I first noticed my Step dad had problems with drinking I was about eleven years old during the time. Though I must admit it wasn 't a healthy place to be at the time I was living in Phoenix,Arizona with only my step dad 's family nearby to call and my mom, of course but at the time I couldn 't really expect help from her, at the time she was heavily addicted to gambling. Anywho it wasn 't a very healthy relationship. Though I was never physically abuse or anything like that I was emotional abuse having been a first born and having had a very shielded childhood. I was shocked of what was going on in my life when I turned twelve I decided that I wasn 't to live with my dad and his girlfriend.

The picture I am writing about is "Alcoholic Father and Son". The boy is trying his best to help his father to his feet, but the father is to drunk to stand so he stays on the ground outside with his legs out without trying to stand. This picture was taken to symbolize the struggles a kid may have to go through with his father if they are a drunk, and I believe that is important message because many kids go through lives like this. Many children are born into a life where their parent or parents are unstable alcoholics who are incapable of helping themselves and the child after a point in their lives feel the need to help the parents.

Throughout my life I have been faced with adversity, this comes from growing up in a military family. My dad has served in the military for twenty-nine years, although this means he has bravely defended our country, it also means our whole family has made sacrifices to make his service a reality. Unlike most people, I have never lived in a place for longer than four years, meaning I have had to change schools, make new friends, and start from square one numerous times. Although I could dwell on the negatives of my reality, I choose to overcome these challenges like a true military brat and look at the positives of my experiences. I have been blessed to make many friends throughout the world, travel throughout the United States and Europe,

Introduction I have a story that you gotta read. As you read think about your top 5 memories. What happened in them?When did they happen. How did they happen. Was it a new pet or maybe your parents wedding day.

Dad, I know that you are not here on earth with us any more but, your spirit is still with us. I want to write something down that really hurt me over the years. This is very hard for me to do but, am going to do it. I don 't understand why you never protected me when Jimmy, had force himself on me. This happen when we all Lived in Kirtland.

There is always a distinct event in someone’s life where he begins to become an adult. An event in my life that propelled me towards becoming an adult was when my mom died. My mom died in September 2009, when I was just starting the 6th grade. It happened all of a sudden, and my family did not have much time to prepare for this tragic event. At this time I was still just an eleven year old kid with the mindset that nothing could bad could happen to me.

In my younger and more tender years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since. He ingrained in me the saying, “What you do not ask for you do not get.” He has repeated this statement repeatedly but we’ve always been unusually distant in the sense that he and I understood that I would have to be captain of the ship that is my life. As a young boy I was naturally reserved and did not like taking risks. Throughout my childhood I tried to integrate my Dad’s aphorism into my life.