06-10-2003, 12:08 AM
Hello Swarmalicious!
I must agree with you, although I'm in a very nice neighborhood now in my earlier years of life I was in a very crime infested community with a low family income. While I doubt it was as bad as it seems yours earlier life was by your description; compared to the lives that some of my friends now have lived, anything on the South side of Chicago would seem like a "ghetto" to them. My mother managed an apartment complex in Blue Island, Illinois (don't pronounce the S!!! :P) and got her fair share of death threats as well as a lot of hard work. Many times I'd end up painting apartments that needed it with her so that we could get a few extra dollars to go do something special on the weekend (I was pretty young at the time though, 7 or 8). My father is no slouch either when it comes to the hard work department. For many years he worked construction for lack of a high school diploma and his attitude reflects on me.
Its rubbed off as well, as a football player I am one of the hardest workers you will ever see off the field. I take a class - Advanced Conditioning Football, and Wednesday last week our coach decided to have us run instead of the scheduled work with the offensive and defensive groups. We ran ladders in the gym to an extent where I went outside on the way back down the ladder and vomited; when I returned to the class they were wrapping up and I decided that I needed to finish the ladder. I did. I then proceeded to go back outside and vomit a few more times but it was well worth it when I saw the people who had come in late and not gotten any running done. I don't know what it is but I love the work, I love the effort, I in a strange kind of way like the pain. I guess I'm getting a bit off topic now but one thing that always has, and always will peeve me, is when someone wants to do something but they don't want to work at it.
-Baylan
I must agree with you, although I'm in a very nice neighborhood now in my earlier years of life I was in a very crime infested community with a low family income. While I doubt it was as bad as it seems yours earlier life was by your description; compared to the lives that some of my friends now have lived, anything on the South side of Chicago would seem like a "ghetto" to them. My mother managed an apartment complex in Blue Island, Illinois (don't pronounce the S!!! :P) and got her fair share of death threats as well as a lot of hard work. Many times I'd end up painting apartments that needed it with her so that we could get a few extra dollars to go do something special on the weekend (I was pretty young at the time though, 7 or 8). My father is no slouch either when it comes to the hard work department. For many years he worked construction for lack of a high school diploma and his attitude reflects on me.
Its rubbed off as well, as a football player I am one of the hardest workers you will ever see off the field. I take a class - Advanced Conditioning Football, and Wednesday last week our coach decided to have us run instead of the scheduled work with the offensive and defensive groups. We ran ladders in the gym to an extent where I went outside on the way back down the ladder and vomited; when I returned to the class they were wrapping up and I decided that I needed to finish the ladder. I did. I then proceeded to go back outside and vomit a few more times but it was well worth it when I saw the people who had come in late and not gotten any running done. I don't know what it is but I love the work, I love the effort, I in a strange kind of way like the pain. I guess I'm getting a bit off topic now but one thing that always has, and always will peeve me, is when someone wants to do something but they don't want to work at it.
-Baylan