TRANSLATION
Joey's Struggle for a Better Life
by Lydia Pecor
This is Joey Jones, he is now eighteen years old, but this isn’t his first taste of independence. When he was born at Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital, on September 30th, 1996 he was greeted by two welcoming parents. They loved him and gave him the necessities he needed as a young child. Joey had a normal childhood. However, in middle school, without his full understanding, his parents started to be different. As he got a little older he started to realize why; his father and mother had become addicted to drugs.
At this point he became angry and started lashing out on everyone around him. Because of his rebellious, angry behavior joey was kicked out of school after school. His parents were incapable of seeing what was going on with joey let alone make a difference. The last grade joey fully completed was eighth. With all of the free time he had granted himself joey was fighting, using drugs, and found himself from time to time in a brush with the law. I met joey around five years ago and he was still on that descending path. I, as well as other friends and family, tried many times to redirect him but we were all going at it the wrong way. We learned that Joey had to decide he wanted to change his behavior. About a year ago something did change... My family and I, as well as some other close friends, helped get him the basic necessities like: food, income, and a home.
Currently Joey works at Listen Community Services, which is a thrift store that helps with fuel assistance and also but not limited to free meals. He lives at my house with my family and I, and has gotten very involved in our family. It has been a lot of work this past year for everyone but every minute was worth it. Now he has confidence and cares about the future.
Joey has been doing well and is on a better path than before. He’s learned some social skills and strategies to deal with his anger. He now realizes this is necessary for everyday life. Some days are more complicated for him than others but the good days make up for the bad.
He has become very close with my family and finally feels like he belongs again. He said to me the other day “ I can’t wait for the future, to see where we are and all the things we’ll have.” This proves to me that he wants a better life.
“You can’t help who your family is, it
just so happened I was cursed with a
bad one but then granted with another.”
these are the words that no child should
ever even have to think about yet alone
have to say.
Things have been rough the past year but all that matters is that he made it and is now on a better track to the future. Thankfully now his mother is on a better path and is sobered up completely. His father on the other hand has not, and is currently in jail. He still puts Joey through pain and head games. Although Joey is better with his anger, at times, all of the stress from his dad builds up and he has an outburst. Joey has come so far and everyone is so proud of him “all I have to do is think about how great life is without bad”.