poverty in ethiopia

Markievy Johnson
Dr. Fisher
October 9, 2013

The Making of Something Great

The late Nelson Mandela said it best. “Does anybody really think that they didn’t get what they had because they had because they didn’t have the talent or strength or endurance or the commitment.” All of what Mandela mentions plays a major part of my life as well as family, religious beliefs, and most importantly my cultural background. My name is Markievy H.E Johnson. I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas in a subdivision some would like to call Woodtown. My middle name is just an abbreviation which symbolize both of my grandfather’s name, Herman and Emmit. What is abnormally interesting is that neither of these men are my biological grandfathers, but however all I knew growing up. I am the oldest of two, with a younger brother name Kristian Johnson. Being the oldest brands you to grow up quickly. I was the product of a two parent home up to the age of 12. Which my parents separated and required a divorce, and as many homes my brother and I stayed with our mother. Growing up I was always the athletic out of the two and had more opportunities than my little brother. I have played football since I was seven years old. Other sports such as baseball. basketball, and even track & field has never been my strong point. It could have to do with the fact that my dad coached me and his strong sport was always football as well. Luckily my family does not have matriarchy background, even though my mother and father were divorced. My father still played a major part of us, my brother, and becoming men. I say that because even if we would have got in trouble in school my mother would let my father handle and discipline us. Which I can honestly say that I am highly appreciative of all the times my dad disciplines us, because not only did it hurt, but it also imbedded a strong bond between us that no person could take away. Unlike my father, I will be the first man in my family to receive a college degree. However my mother did attend college, but only for two years and yet to get her degree. So I am actually looking forward to accomplish something that no person in my family has reached. This is where I believe my endurance and how mentally strong I am will get me to where I am trying to go. Due to the face that I was raised and brought up in what you call the “Ghetto” or lower class people in an environment. Simple because as a child in a single parent household, and with our mother always working late my brother and I had to learn how to make it even though we had our mother in the house with us at times it felt like my brother and I was all we had. That’s the reason in us being so close and being 6 years apart. For years I have taken care of my little brother and it even carry on today in some way. In the summer of 2008 my brother and I moved to Houston with our mother. It was something that we really did not want to do, but however that’s mama and we had to do what she said. The reason for us moving to Houston is because at the time my mother was dating a preacher and thought they were going to be together. This preacher and his church were very unique and different from anything I have ever seen before. Going to this church made me more open to things, and looked at things and situations from a distinguished stand point. Even though my personal opinion I do not think that as the woman, my mother should not had to relocate and start her life over again, instead I feel like if a man wants a woman he is going to be there wherever she is. At the end of the day not any coincidence that I ended up in Houston, it was all in God’s plan. Even though my mother and this preacher are not together, she is their at church faithfully at every service. Without us moving to Houston, I believe that I would have definitely been at another university especially because of my high performance in football. Due to the fact that I went to four different high schools in my four years of being in high school. It caused a setback in many things such as my notoriety an illustrated instability. I guess the parents getting a divorce really do affect the children in a major way. Through it all I stayed committed to graduating and getting my high school diploma no matter where I went. Looking back, old coaches, and teammates tell me all the time “Man if you would have stayed you’d probably be at TCU, Texas Tech, or something.” The funny thing is that these people may have been right. But if it was not in God’s plan it was not supposed to happen. In my life I felt I was handed lemons, and I am doing the best I can in making lemonade. Meaning whatever life bring I am still making the best of it. Also if I had not moved to Houston I would not have my beautiful one year old son that I cherish so much. Moving down here has put me up to the test. I’m still growing up, and learning how to be a man. Besides me moving down here and starting over again, having my son was another major test. I am a great father to my son; I want him to grow up going in the right path. I refuse to let him grow up and I have nothing to give him, so that just makes me work ten times harder to know I’m doing it for him and for myself. I watched my father raise my brother and I so raising my own should be the same as my father did for me. Whatever flaws and mistakes he did, I learned from them so I know not to make the wrong decisions. My son will grow up to be great like me, there’s no other option about that.

People are put on the earth for a reason. Each person has a story behind their name and you have to live by it. God controls us; he has a way for everything. It might not happen right away or go the way you want it to go but it’s there waiting for you. It’s just that you have to work for it. There are those who fail and never continue to try, they lose hope and faith then they just quit. Then there are the believers, those that try and never quit no matter what the circumstance, and that’s me. My mom always showed me that when it gets hard I know everything will be okay because I know God got me and he is watching over me. I’ve learned that when I make mistakes I can always fix them, anything is possible when you put your mind to it. Someone can’t tell me I can’t do something because I’ll just show them I can. My life is like an unfinished book that is still going on day after day. I feel like I overcame an impressively amount of adversity. Things that I have been through I can honestly say other people may have not the strength and willingness to endure.