... So I spent a few hours after work walking around my old neighborhood with some friends. I went to this park by my old place and it's amazing now. The owner built a giant boxing gym there and re did everything. I was so glad to see this park doing well. I spent a lot of my time there. Then I walked to my Aunts apartments and talked about all my fond memories around there. Getting in trouble, fighting, skating and swimming. The I went to my old house. Well more like my old lot. It's so crazy not seeing my house there anymore. For those who don't know my home burned to the ground taking my adolescence with it. I walked my friends through what used to be my house and yard and mapping out the house like it was still there. I did a whole lot of walking and a hole lot of remembering. It's been so long since I've been to that neighborhood and it's calmed down a lot since I was a kid. Not as nearly busy as it was. I barley say anyone out on the streets or any ting. It's weird how I hated that house and that neighborhood for the longest but now that It's gone and I'm never there I miss it. I can still remember wasting my days throwing rocks at kids on the next street. Riding my bike through peoples yards and alley ways. Beating up my friend frank y and three hours later going to steal stuff from walmart with him. I remember my youth like it was yesterday. I'm glad to have seen how far I came in life. I always knew I would get out of that area. Do something with my life. I had something to prove to the teachers and cops who said I wouldn't amount to shit. The ones who said because I was born in Arlanza I would end up a gang banger or a junkie. The ones who said I would end up dead or in jail. The people who never gave me a chance to prove I was a good kid and shunned me due to where I was born and mocked my family just because of where I lived. Now I can sit back and laugh because I overcame so much and proved everyone wrong. That neighborhood made me who I am today. Seeing all the drugies and low life made me despise that life. no anti drug centement could nearly come close to the harsh realities of my old neighbor hood. Living in Arlanza was motivation enough for me to stay out of trouble and to finish up school. I can look back and say I'm proud to be the man I am today and I'm proud of the life I've lead so far and can't wait to see what this future has in store for me.