Third Time Lucky

“Drugs buried me in a deep pit of trouble, but now I am strong and can take care of my son.”

I lived in this downtown neighbourhood and so I’ve seen a lot of things that you would not believe.

I moved around a lot when I was little but then, when I was going into grade 11, I moved back with my mom and her boyfriend. He was always bragging about how he dealt kaksonjae, which is what he called crystal meth. Because I wanted to make him mad, I started sneaking it from him.

I felt like I could handle anything when I took it, but that was a huge mistake. He caught me and made me a deal. He said he wouldn’t tell my mom because she would go crazy, but I had to be nice to his friends. I let them do just about whatever they wanted to me so I could keep supplied. A few times I even did a five-way, which is meth, pills, alcohol and other stuff all at once. I was so messed up.

I ended up getting arrested a few times for stealing and getting in fights. The first couple times I was caught they were always trying to get me into counselling, but I wasn’t interested. Finally the third time something changed in me and I just wanted to live like a normal person again.

I went through this whole program that my grandma paid for, and now I live with her and my son. I know I can trust my grandma. She loves me and protects me.

I’m hoping to take this cool drumming class for women because it sounds fun. I was missing a lot of credits but now I’m almost done high school and I’m thinking about being an addictions counsellor someday. Some of the things the counselors tell you are just so stupid and not helpful and I think I would be good at the job because I know what it’s really like.