Seventeen: The Start of Your Ending

“June 11, 1996. My seventeenth birthday. While most teenagers were celebrating graduations or milestones with family and friends, I was trudging through LaGuardia Airport, Walkman in hand, en route to Morganfield, Kentucky. This wasn’t just a trip—it was a crossroads that would define the course of my life…”

The streets of New Rochelle had shaped me, but they were also closing in. I had been expelled from high school for fighting and was hustling to get by. Job Corps wasn’t an exciting opportunity—it was my last chance to avoid jail. The weight of this decision settled heavy in my stomach as I boarded that small plane, leaving behind everything I knew in pursuit of something better.

The Struggle for a Fresh Start

Landing in Kentucky, I was hit with a culture shock. The rules, the structure, and the heat all felt suffocating. My bunk in the dorm was uncomfortable, but the reality of being so far from home, surrounded by strangers, was worse. My goal was simple: get my GED and learn a trade. But, within weeks, I discovered that even here, nothing came easy.

I had signed up for computer engineering but was assigned to automotive repair instead. Disappointed, I felt my ambition slipping away. The environment was stifling, and the routine felt meaningless. The ghosts of the streets I tried to escape still lingered, and I began to question whether I had made the right choice.

Mobb Deep’s Anthem in Action

Mobb Deep’s “Start of Your Ending” is a lyrical portrait of survival and the reality of life in the streets. The song mirrored my internal conflict: wanting to break free from my past but struggling to find a foothold in an unfamiliar future.

A Lesson in Resilience

This chapter was about facing my fears and learning to push through discomfort. The experience taught me that change isn’t linear or easy. I left Kentucky with my GED but without a clear plan. However, I returned home with one crucial realization: the only way forward was through relentless self-determination.

“The ghosts of the streets I tried to escape still lingered…”

Call to Action

Life is full of moments that feel like endings but are really beginnings in disguise. My story in Change The Game is proof that even the hardest paths can lead to transformation.

Grab your copy today at www.tmjefferson.org to read the full chapter and discover how resilience and grit can change the game.

And if you’re ready to tell your own story, explore the CTG Writing Mastery Course, an 8-week program designed to help you craft and publish your narrative. Let’s rewrite the future together.