Standouts - The Beat Within
Standouts - The Beat Within
Standouts - The Beat Within
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<strong>Standouts</strong><br />
<strong>Standouts</strong> Volume 17.01/02<br />
Fresno County<br />
Sorry, Mom<br />
This one time, I came in late and my mom got really mad at me. I<br />
was hanging out with my friends and she told me to be home at a<br />
certain time. She sent me to my room and threatened to ground me<br />
for a month.<br />
She stopped me from hanging out with my friends because that<br />
got me in so much trouble. I was sad. She took away my phone and<br />
my money. After a couple of days, we started talking again. I was<br />
sorry and I told her I loved her. I would never do it again. I love my<br />
mom.<br />
-Leve<br />
From <strong>The</strong> <strong>Beat</strong>: Moms always worry. To help keep their stress level<br />
down, it’s important to not forget one’s responsibilities.<br />
Never Again<br />
One time I took pills and shared some liquor with my friends. I got<br />
so high I can’t tell you what happened after other friends showed<br />
up. Apparently I got really sick and passed out for a few days, and<br />
when I woke I was still feeling those pills and got more sick. That’s<br />
why I won’t drink or take pills ever again. I don’t ever want to do<br />
that anymore.<br />
-Kaylee<br />
From <strong>The</strong> <strong>Beat</strong>: Good lesson learned! You really put your life in danger.<br />
Where I Am<br />
When I’m locked up, time to me feels like forever. I feel lost and<br />
like if nobody cares. I sit in my cell and cry and think about all the<br />
things I did to get myself where I am now. I know things happen for<br />
a reason so I just keep my head up and don’t let anyone bring me<br />
down. I wish and hope for the best to happen, because I know in<br />
God’s eyes I do deserve the best outcome. I am a good person. I just<br />
make wrong choices.<br />
-Lexi<br />
From the <strong>Beat</strong>: It takes this kind of hope to change one’s life around<br />
for the better. Juvenile hall can be rough, but it can also be a time to<br />
reflect. We are glad to see that you have come to these realizations.<br />
We wish you the best.<br />
Time Goes by Slowly<br />
Time to me feels sad and hopeless. Why? It’s because time in<br />
juvenile hall goes by slow. It doesn’t feel different even if I’m getting<br />
released in two months. When I feel that it passes slowly, all I do to<br />
pass time is read a book until I fall asleep. To be honest with you, I<br />
don’t love time or hate time. I just try not to think about time ‘cause<br />
when you think about it and count your days down, it just goes by<br />
slowly.<br />
-Rachelle<br />
From the <strong>Beat</strong>: We are sorry to hear that you are sad. However, you<br />
shouldn’t feel hopeless. You can change yourself and never have to<br />
enter juvenile hall ever again. If you ever feel tempted to do something<br />
bad, think of your time in juvenile hall.<br />
My Arrest<br />
I won’t forget the day I got arrested. I had to run from the police and<br />
walk across the top of these apartments. I was very scared because<br />
I’m scared of heights. It took me about an hour just to get to the end.<br />
I messed up my shoes and everything. When I finally got down I had<br />
to run in this field. <strong>The</strong> grass was hecka wet and stuff. I eventually<br />
got tired. I started walking and then the police caught me and took<br />
me in.<br />
-Alshaya<br />
From the <strong>Beat</strong>: We are sorry to hear that you ended up in this situation.<br />
You should think about how you ended up there. What would you<br />
change? This will help prevent you from getting in this situation again.<br />
<strong>The</strong><strong>Beat</strong><strong>Within</strong>.org<br />
Page 56<br />
Angry Over an Android<br />
Well it all started when my uncle came to my house and asked me<br />
if I wanted a phone that he just bought, which was an Android. At<br />
the time I really wanted a phone, so I asked my mom, “Can I have<br />
this phone my uncle is giving me,” and she said, “yeah, but I ain’t<br />
paying for it.” So I said, “ok then I’ll ask my grandma.” But then my<br />
dad got home and he said no because he didn’t want me to take my<br />
uncle’s stuff.<br />
So I started getting mad and I kept constantly asking my dad<br />
and mom. Since my dad said no, my mom just went ahead and said<br />
no also. So I was super mad that mom kept telling me to calm down<br />
and that she’ll buy me a better phone. I said no because I was so<br />
irritated and frustrated that I couldn’t take no as an answer.<br />
Later that evening my dad was getting mad ‘cause I kept<br />
bugging him, so finally he said loudly, “NO.” <strong>The</strong>n I said no too and<br />
I started cursing at him and yelling, but when it comes down to<br />
getting disrespected my dad hates it. He won’t put up with it.<br />
But anyway, we were going at it back and forth and he also said,<br />
“I’m tired of all this” and stuff like him wanting to leave our house,<br />
but then he like started getting mad. I ran up the stairs and I was<br />
still cursing at him. He stood up and threw the gate at me and then I<br />
threw it back. <strong>The</strong>n after an hour we got over it but we didn’t talk to<br />
each other for about three days. Now ever since then we never argue.<br />
-Lesley<br />
From <strong>The</strong> <strong>Beat</strong>: Luckily, something was gained from this outburst –<br />
no more family arguments. Something simple, like a new phone, can<br />
easily disrupt the harmony shared by your family. Always value and<br />
choose your relationships with people over the possession of an object.<br />
Value of School<br />
<strong>The</strong>re was this time my mom got mad at me because I ditched school.<br />
She was really angry. I didn’t mean to make her mad. She grounded<br />
me for two months and didn’t let me go anywhere. She made me stay<br />
home to help her clean and watch my brothers and sister.<br />
I felt bad and I thought that I should have went to school. It<br />
would have been different and I could have been doing things. It<br />
took my mom two days to forgive me and she told me to not do this<br />
again and to go to school. My mom got upset. She yelled at me, but<br />
she never hit me. I realized I shouldn’t do it again. I don’t like to see<br />
my mom angry.<br />
-Angela<br />
From <strong>The</strong> <strong>Beat</strong>: Going to school and reading books is an important<br />
aspect of a teenager’s life, and your mom is just trying to make sure you<br />
don’t miss out on learning valuable skills that will help you as an adult.<br />
Hustle<br />
Every day we’re living in their world we call Earth, but every day<br />
we’re living a bad life. ‘Cause every day we’re out here trying to make<br />
a living, ‘cause all we know is how to hustle people. That’s not a way<br />
to live, but what do they know? <strong>The</strong>y don’t know anything. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
think they know, but I’ve been out there hustling all my life, and we<br />
got to eat and sleep one way or another.<br />
Who is going to put clothes on my back? Who is going to feed<br />
me? Not you. It’s me, cause I’m out here hustling. But that’s the old<br />
me. <strong>The</strong> new me says that’s really not the life to live, ‘cause it wasn’t<br />
the best for me, and it probably ain’t for you.<br />
-Estefani<br />
From <strong>The</strong> <strong>Beat</strong>: It’s not easy surviving in this tough world when you’re<br />
hustling to survive, but you’ve got to know there are people out there<br />
willing to help you. Just reach out.<br />
Who is going to put<br />
clothes on my back? Who is<br />
going to feed me? Not you.
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