I Survived!!!

At 3 years old, I survived the scary sounds of Dr. Funkenstein my daddy used to play that at first would scare me, but I learned to get my boogie on to the sounds of Parliment.

At 5 years old, I survived the scariness of my grandmother fainting in the bathroom at Dicks in Spokane and all I could do was cry and scream. 

At 6 years old, I survived a week in the hospital dealing with the discovery and the complications of having Sickle Cell Disease.

At 7 year old, I survived my first enema!  WTH??  No 7 year old should be subjected to that, and at home, no professional in sight,  where my grandfather held me down, my grandmother was praying and my mom went in for the kill!!!  Pure devastation....I died that day!  

At 8 years old, I survived an accidental overdose of NyQuil.  My grandmother, bless her heart, gave me TWO adult dosages.  What is it with my family thinking they could run a hospital out of 638 S. Ray?

At 10 years old I survived, getting on the airplane for the first time all by myself and going to Chicago to visit my Grandpa Tillman and all my cousins in Argo.

At 11 years old I survived, my grandmother beating the brakes off me for coming home singing Madonna's "Like a Virgin".  To this day I still secretly LOVE THAT SONG

At 12 years old I survived, my grandmother being tragically murdered in her beauty shop.  I died that day.

The same year, I survived my brother telling me, the day our little sister was born, "Ha, you're not dad's baby no more."  Not sure what hurt worst, my brother telling me I wasn't his sister or him telling me that.  Brothers....gotta love em!?!?!?!

At 13 years old I survived watching my mom's downward spiral into the life of drugs and depression.  My cousins and I also survived "The Room" together. 

THAT SAME YEAR I survived going into the hospital again for Sickle Cell complications.  Had to have a blood transfusion, was in the hospital again for a week.

At 14 years old, I survived watching both of our cars get repossessed from in front of our home because we had no way to pay the car note.  That same year, I also survived the humiliation of my mom rolling up to Libby Jr. High picking me up in a brown 1977 Ford Pinto Station wagon.  I died that day.

At 15 years old, I survived jumping into a physical altercation between two drug addicts--my mom and her boyfriend.  Who knew a broom could be a weapon of defense! 

At 16 years old, I survived my first AND only drug deal....I was more scared than the fein I sold too! I was a bad drug dealer.  

At 17 I survived the heart wrenching physical altercation I had with my mom.

At 17 I survived my first time driving a stick shift from the East Side to the South hill (behind Excel) in Spokane....I drove in 2nd the whole way!  I hope a blown clutch was worth it to the druggies who gave teenagers their car for crack. Geez, the crack years.

At 18, I survived hospitalization again, this time my gallbladder to have gallstones removed...also a downfall due to sickle cell.....oh and all the trips to Zips, Dicks, KFC, Pizza Pipeline, Taco Time....

At 18 I survived my first time drinking an entire 40oz of Old English AND a 22 of Bull Ice.  Ahhh, the Malt Liquor error! I didn't survive the next day at the lake with my Best Friend Kym and her brother in the boat.  I died that day. 

At 19 I survived living in mini hell called Yakima, where I worked 3 jobs, The County Jail, The Bon Marche and the Yakima Herald AT THE SAME TIME!!!

At 20 I survived the horrific news that my mother was tragically murdered by my sister's father.  I died that day

At 22 I survived moving clear across country to Maryland for college where I didn't know a soul and went through the life changing process of pledging the most illustrious sorority on earth, ZPB!

At 22 I survived the death of my first best friend, my granddaddy, Levi Simpson Gardner. I died that day.

At 23, I survived being dumped by my first love when I left college and Maryland for him, and he broke up with me and moved to Texas. 

At 25 I survived living in Seattle unemployed for 4 months and being on my check cashing hustle to pay rent and buy food.  Oddly, that was one of the BEST YEARS OF MY LIFE!!!!  Although I think Money Tree is still looking for me! lol 

At 26, I survived "The SCUM Shoot out" and police hold up in Burien....again another fun night in the hood! lol

At 27, I survived being unemployed again for 8 months, sleeping at random houses, and yet managed to have the best summer of my life broke with no money.  Drugs and alcohol surely makes things better...temporarily, kids don't do what I do. 

At 28, I survived moving back across country without a plan, with just the clothes in my suitcase and on my back. 

At 30, I survived getting in a physical altercation with a "lover" and having the police called on me.  I think I have a warrant in Montgomery County.  

At 32, I survived walking in on my EX boyfriend two days before our year anniversary to see him in the bed naked with another woman.  He claims he wasn't getting enough attention from me.  Uh, what part of I work TWO FULL TIME JOBS do you not understand?  the two or the full time?

Here I am now looking back at how much I've overcome and I still didn't put half of the other things that I made it through.  Heartaches, close brushes with date rape, untrue friends, unfaithful lovers, arguments, fights, being fired from jobs, collectors calling my phone, utility shut offs, no food, depression, sickness, all the things where I thought I couldn't hold on anymore......yet, I did what..... Survived!  

Coming to you live and direct from the Temple of Malisea Q. Gardner where she is listening to Mary Mary's "Survive" and thinking damn I'm a SURVIVOR!