Springfield, Missouri

So after we left Miami Beach and Orange Walk Town Belize, my family and I moved to Springfield,MO in the summer of 1993. This is where I would spend my final year in high school and my first two years of college. We moved to Springfield because my since deceased grandparents sold their farm in Ava and bought a house in Springfield which is affectionately called the “heart of the Ozarks.” We got us a duplex and all moved my Mom, Me and my 3 younger brothers since the older siblings were all grown and married and living in Waukegan IL by then. My first thought was what was I doing in this hick town and how was ever going to fit in. Central High School was the place and I can still remember like yesterday 25 years later. Things were the complete opposite of Miami Beach with a majority white student population and a small minority population made up mostly of the school jocks who congregated together in the halls and at lunch time. Now I didn’t realize at the time but things were very on edge racially wise but I was clueless as I mainly kept to myself and tried to avoid getting involved with anyone. Survival was the name of the game and I went about my school day methodically by acing all my classes especially my English teacher and gaining his respect. He really encouraged me to continue writing and developing my craft. Where ever you are sir, kudos, to you, you really made a different to a shy red headed from Miami via Belize. So I was lucky enough to share a class with my younger brother Kraig and we would trade jokes and share the answers to homework. Now I was getting bullied by this black kid…