by David-Michael, Santa Clara My hero is my sister. Ever since we were young I was always getting into trouble, either if it was fighting or causing problems. My family stopped caring, started calling me a delinquent or the black sheep of the family. But my sister was never like that. She always took care of me, left dinner on the table when I would come home late, or even after a fight when I would come home bleeding and bruised up, she never judged me. She would always clean my cuts and scold me as if she was my
Continue ReadingBest Times
by Giovanni, San Mateo One of the best times in my life was when I took a trip to Yosemite with my girlfriend. It was last year on October 18th. It was our one year anniversary. I’ve been planning this for a couple of months but I never told her. I woke up at 7am that day with my bags packed. I called my girl’s mom letting her know I was gonna pick her up. I ended up driving there and woke her up. I remember her waking up and staring at me like, “What the hell.” I ended up
Continue ReadingLetter To The Little Boy That I Was
by Thomas Sheen, Avenal State Prison in Avenal, CA Dear Thomas, I am sorry, I really made a mess of your life. In all fairness, you played a part in it as well, that’s why I’m writing to you. I want to give you some perspective. In your young life, your father, sister and older brothers will be absent and you’re going to experience some physical and emotional abuse from your mom and stepdad. This will cause you to feel forgotten and rejected by your family. In school, you’re going to experience bullying in response to your kindness and you’ll
Continue ReadingWhat a Good Work Ethic Means To Me
by Ernesto Sanchez, Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga, CA Before coming to prison, I knew little to nothing about “ethic,” let alone what it means for someone to have good “work ethics” in order to survive and be successful in life. I watched other people on the streets go about their day-to-day lives, and doing what they needed to get done by working and paying their bills, but I just assumed that it was something that they chose to do because they had no other choice. I was wrong, however, it took a lot of years for me to
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Volume 26.37/38
Please contact Lisa Lavaysse if you would like to purchase the full PDF or a printed copy of this issue.
Continue ReadingEd Note 26.37/38
As we embrace our 25th anniversary of this good work, it is only right to look back on how this all began. There are several moving parts that play a key role in The Beat Within’s success, besides the San Francisco Juvenile Justice Center aka Youth Guidance Cntr (YGC), aka the “Mothership” for being so open to the idea of our weekly groups back in 1996. It was Marynella Woods, former social worker in the Public Defender’s Office Juvenile Division, taking a chance on our founder, David, way back in the early 1990s. It was also Jack Jacqua, cofounder of
Continue ReadingAll The Things I Have Seen
by B, Sacramento In my eyes, my story will tell you everything I have been through. People say they feel my pain, but they couldn’t. Sometimes when I look in the mirror, I see my past and it hurts to think about it, even envision it. But my eyes tell me everything. I mean people can look in them and see mad hurt, but they can’t see through them. My eyes would say I had been hurt and I want to love. I done did things in my life that I can’t take back. And that I seen my brothers
Continue ReadingHow People See Me
by Angel, San Mateo Lots of people might see me from many different perspectives. I’ve met plenty of people from many different places in my sixteen years of life. Many might say I’m a bad person with bad intentions, while many other people might say the complete opposite. When I go to school my teachers tell me I’m smart. They tell me I’m very curious. Here in the unit, staff tells me all types of different things, one of them said, I’ve changed for the worst. Other staff tell me I have lots of potential. While working out, one staff
Continue ReadingChanged The World
by Cam, James Ranch, Santa Clara 2Pac is a rapper that changed the world. His music is very powerful. I like his words. I’m just like him, I just speak facts. I like him because he is a very powerful artist. He is not just a rapper, he is an actor. Two of my favorite movies by him is All Eyez On Me and Juice. My favorite songs are Changes, Dear Mama, Hit ‘Em Up, California Love, Do For Love, and All Eyez On Me. I like those songs because of the way he does his flow and how he
Continue ReadingWasted Time
by Precilla, Los Angeles The time I’ve wasted is my biggest regretSpent in this place. I will never forget.Just sitting in here thinking about the things I have done.The crying, the laughing, the hurt, and the fun.Now it’s just me and my hard driven guiltBehind a wall of emptiness allowed to be built.I’m trapped in my body just wanting to runBack to my youth with laughter and fun.But the chase is over and there’s no place to hide.Everything is gone including my prideWith reality suddenly right in my face.I’m scared I’m stuck in this place.Now memories flash through my head
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