THE STRUGGLE

writing .com I was born on September 22, 1977 at Barber Junction in Cleveland, NC. I had two older sisters and we lived in a trailer whenever I was born. My biological dad was in the marines and wanted to be with other women. We stayed with my mother’s uncle on the farm my mom had to work several jobs to help support her family. In April of 1979, while taking one of her daughters to school on the way back home with her youngest daughter they met an Exxon Tanker truck on the wrong side of the road. At the time of my accident I was eighteen months old. I was already walking and talking good at the time but I was young enough that I was young enough that I was able to relearn to walk and talk again. During 1980 and 1981 I was enrolled in the Price Headstart Program, it was a federally funded program to help children at a disadvantage . In 1982 I started kindergarten at Granite Quarry Elementary in 1983 I received my kindergarten diploma. In 1984 and 1985 I was in the first grade and I remember being transferred from one first grade class to another then I was promoted to the second grade in .the second grade was about like the first. The third grade was when I Started having problems with my balance on some of the playground equipment. The teachers became concerned so physical therapy was started within the school twice a week. During 1986 and 1987 I was in the fourth grade and I have some good memories and some that aren’t
so good of the fourth grade. For instance some of the good memories that I have are of her bring her ventriloquist dolls ”Hank” and “Petie”. I also remember where he husband would being her little black and white pug nosed dog named “Pug”. I recall the red bandanna he’d be wearing around his neck as he pranced around the room. There are also memories that weren’t so good from the fourth grade. In the springtime of 1987 during the month of April I was struck by a car when I was nine years I had a little bit an extended stay in the hospital- I went though months of physical, occupational, and speech therapy .
In 1988 I finally got to go back to school four hours a day and then I’d come home and take my therapy. I remember I was in a bunch of resource classes. I also have the memory of trying to play the recorder and trying to hold it up and keeping it steady and covering up the holes to make the notes..
In 1989 I started the sixth grade at Granite Quarry Elementary school. There was only one sixth grade class downstairs along with a fifth grade class in the library and all the rest of the classes were upstairs. I had one of the best sixth grade teachers. I was fortunate enough to get the same teacher that my sister had.
In 1990 I started the seventh grade at CC Erwin Jr High.. The school system decided to do a merge of the schools. They put the sixth grade with the seventh and eighth grade and send the ninerth grade over to the high school. My seventh grade year was nice all my teachers were so nice. I remember this one teacher I had an infatuation on and every time I’d see him I’d scream. If II wasn’t wearing my glasses he wouldn’t
Talk to me.
In 1991 I was in the eighth grade it was similar to my seventh grade year. In my eighth grade year I was able to go with the history club to Raleigh to see and the NC Legislation building.
In 1992 when I started the ninth grade I started out using a manual wheelchair until I received my electric wheelchair. I hated it because the halls were crowded and the wheelchair was big and it made it hard to get through the halls. People didn‘t have sense In the nineth grade I liked to commit on men’s ties either I liked it or I hated it. I was able to go to Washington DC with the freshman class. For the first couple months of my freshman year I had this aid that I didn’t care for because she wanted to do everything for me. I also didn’t care for her because she wasn’t to helpful in boosting my self-esteem I remember I would come home from school all upset. Inn 1992 my sister and I were in the Juniorettes together.
1993-When I started the tenth grade I had a little more independence since I got my electric wheelchair but along with having my independence meant that I had to deal with other students attitudes. I tried to be a good sport about it and just brush it off. I’d give other students rides down the halls. During lunch one day someone dared me to go out into the courtyard and in order to get out into the courtyard you had to step off of a step. I got out into the courtyard but then I then when I got out there the bell rang and I couldn’t get back in the building.
I was almost to the end of my journey as I started my eleventh grade year . In my eleventh grade year I took a continual class of bible history I class . I made pretty good grades I know in my English class I wanted to learn while other students wanted to pick and cutup while I wanted to learn.
My senior year finally arrived ! There was so many times in my high school life when “I just wanted to “GIVE-UP” but I knew that I had to be stronger then my disability. In my senior year I was in the Broadway Revue III . I played Belle from the “Beauty and the Beast and the Beast”. During my 12th grade year in my independent living class I was pen-pens with a students from Morgan Elementary School. Even though I had a big wheelchair I wanted to be like everybody else. One year I painted my face one side blue and the other side red. During a pep-rally. When it came time for my graduation I walked to be able to walk up there to accept my diploma.. When I accepted my diploma the crowd gave me a staying observation.