Looking into my "childhood," Growing up in a small house with only two bedrooms with four other siblings was difficult. Like J. D. Vance in "Hilbilly Elegy," I can relate to his lifestyle when he was a child. I come from a poor background, just like Vance, and at such a young age, I basically became an adult just like how Vance and his sister had to. Like Vance, I also had difficult times whenever it came to the topic "family," I loved my family and all, but when it came to consuming drugs, it was a huge nightmare.
First and foremost, my childhood was unlike any other childhood my friends have had. Usually, they always talked to me about how their vacation was, but I would always tell them how I would find different jobs and how it would go for me. Being poor wasn't always so bad because I learned a lot about saving my money and not spending it on things that I didn't need. I would always pass by the stores and see something that I wanted, but I knew I couldn't spend it on that because I would need something more substantial later. Before I started middle school, I would remember taking the bus just to go to the stores because we couldn't afford another car, so it was a constant thing waking up at five thirty, having to grab money to buy a bus ticket, and heading out to buy groceries. I had to be back before eight in the morning to take care of my younger siblings because my parents would go off to work. Just like Vance's sister, she had to leave her childhood behind to become an adult and take care of herself since her parents couldn't. My parents never meant to leave me a lot of responsibilities, but I understood they had to work a lot to provide food on the table for us.
Furthermore, I learned a lot of responsibility working at such a young age, most kids at twelve years would want a new smartphone or ask for a game console, but I had to make sure I knew the rules at work. One little wrong thing and it could mess up the whole job. My most difficult task would be working in the construction business because you had to make sure every measurement was correct and that no area was left with too much or too little cement. At twelve, I was learning how to read floor plans I was given, it was hard memorizing most of it, but I ended up getting the hang of it. Even though I started working at such a young age, I would always put my education in front of me. No matter the situation I was in, my job would always come second because my parents would make me go to school first and then head to work straight afterward. It would either be walking or hitching a ride from a friend, but either way, I had to arrive on time, and I was always responsible when it came to arriving on time. When I had a full-time job, I wouldn't procrastinate at all. Being a middle schooler was harder than I thought, I loved going to school and playing for the soccer team, but sometimes there were times when I just wanted to give up on so many things, but then came the thoughts...
