Growing up for me, from a small town in Southern Ohio by Chillicothe, was a challenging place that left me at a high disadvantage with learning the true values of life, and knowing the difference of what is right or wrong. Sure the law says no, but when at the age of ten your selling and doing oxys, the rational depth of the wrong is never developed. Especially, when all the kids around you are doing them too. My whole life, I never really got it, even when I felt I was in the right, I truly wasn’t. I ended up in prison for the manufacturing of drugs and getting a felony 1. Great stuff, right? I lost my kid, my cars, my home… everything.

While locked up, I went through a series of changes with many groups of people, till I realized what made me happy. .. and not chasing some made up thought of what I, and so many others who had mislead thoughts of what was right or fun… or furthermore the way to live. I got into art and lucked into getting into the one class, that actually offered graphic design. There I found happiness and had learned to live without family, and friends that I once had apart of my life. I had my new family.

This of course buried the pain on the inside that left a hole, from knowing that my son would grow up without his father from seven till 12. To me, I knew that was when, he would learn all the rooted parts of values that was going to make a major establishment of his character and… form him into his adult life. The pain I learned to deal with, for I had buried it. It was as though it never existed on the outside.

My emotions harden over the years. I was still growing of course and doing everything I could do, to be a better person but its as though the loss of what I had, was never there. Only those visits made it worse. Toward the last year, I didn’t even want visits anymore. My mother only had bad news, and my son had turned into a child always getting into trouble. We never really clicked anymore. Though I wanted to be the father or at least feel that connection in some way, it just wasn’t there. Maybe, it was me not dealing with the fact, that I knew it was my fault that my mother was struggling, or that my son was turning out the way he was. Regardless, it didn’t change the fact that I’d rather not deal with it at all, for I only wanted to be a part of what made me happy and feel successful. For real… It’s easy to be successful in the joint, especially after you get a couple years in …everything is repetition.

My last six months I joined TYRO. They had free pizza! A lot of it too! We all love pizza inside here. Anything beats a turkey patty or meatwad. The program did what it was supposed to do. I had to deal with the things I had put away in my mind, that I didn’t think I needed, …cause for real, I was happy in there locked up. You find peace at some point, and we as people adapt.

Dealing with the things had I put off while I grew as a person, who was now clean and sober, learning who I was, and my strengths, was all but in the nick of time. My world was about to flip, and I wasn’t hitting the streets running… I was going home to take care of the mess I left. The truth is I don’t think I would have been ready for it, if I hadn’t gone through the last six months of becoming a TYRO. I am thankful for that too.

After I had gotten home and settled, I got my son back, fortunately quick. It took a lot of work to get a kid from straight fs to passing grades. To be honest I’m just now seeing it this last nine weeks of school. Personally, I remember when I was in school that the grades started off good and dropped more toward the end of the year. My son went from mostly Fs to As and Bs this last part of the year. I’m still learning to be a little more passionate with him and open loving.  It’s a big change when someone makes your temper flare and you must respond in such a way that you promote growth. Its an even bigger change that I can recognize that when it happens. To me that is the biggest hurdle –was to mentally excel from my own understanding, and making the best of the situation for myself. When I have the best of the situation for myself, then I have it to give to my son, so he can grow too. Recognizing that it goes, in that order is priceless. Why do I know this…?  Because I’m a TYRO

Today is just past a year from my release. I have started my own company, I help children online providing influence that sparks creativity from art. This allows growth in them, the same that I found in me, while locked up. I am a cover designer for a publishing company. Also I am award winning portraitist from a gallery out of Lakewood. I just started my own clothing line, of which  we made our first five sales. I even dove into the stock market and made money there… and still am. Lol Did I mention I was a high school drop out? I started college for web design. Though I might not be rich yet… i’m off to a great start! Thanks to being a TYRO.