Topic #1
Sydney Glassburn
The author writes about how both Wes’s lives could have been interchangeable. That his life could have led him to being behind bars, and the others Wes’s life could have been free and happy. I believe that they could have been interchanged. A major difference in their lives were there mentors. The type of mentors each of them had were very different. The author had mentors like his mother, grandparents, and aunt that pushed him to make decisions that would make his life even better than their own. The author looked up to his family seeing how strong they were in all of their life troubles. The other Wes had his mother and one friend that pushed him towards the right path but he didn’t look up to them. He looked up to his older brother who was already in all the trouble with gangs and drugs. This Wes wanted to be just like his brother, even though his brother tried to encourage Wes at a young age to not do what he does but do what he says. In the book, both Wes’s are sent away to try to create a better future for themselves. The author, who was sent to a military school, he at first wanted nothing to do with the school and continuously tried to run away. After getting brought into the office the last time and talking to his mother, Wes got the attention he needed while he was still young and he had men at the school to show him that his life is not set in stone. They proved to him that he does have control of his future. They showed him how to stay focused on what really matters in life. The author kept this military life style throughout his life which kept him around people who cared and kept him on the right path. The now incarcerated Wes, went to Job Corps. I believe this was one of the best choices that Wes made in his life. He went there to better himself and his family. He got his GED and became a carpenter. The only problem he had with this was when he came home he was making honest money but not “fast