What is there to say about it really?

Broken homes and pregnant teens

Mothers working , father's drinking, the regular scenes

Young boys acting like wannabe thugs

Drug addicts ravaging the streets like wild dogs

We cursed at each other and fought for free water

Right by the same building they built for prayer

Dirt roads and rundown houses

Dark alleys, prostitutes in stolen blouses

There were nights I was woken by the screams

Of the terrified little kids

Fathered by my neighbour who beat his wife

Once, almost messed her up with a knife

Nobody ever came, everyone too busy with his own life

And always above it all,

The roar of airplanes flying low over our roofs,

ready to touch down in the airport not so close by

The screech of the metal train tracks, hovering above the streets like a hill,

Right where the sun set

The scream of the horn as the train approached fast

With more people on it than in it

not many people with a dime around here

I never figured how they even got up there

But then the occasional laughter

And friendly bargains over the counter

Even though everything sucks

New Year gets everyone smiling at the fireworks

Doors open at midnight over several blocks

Celebrations usually start down at the docks

And mothers pray for their daughters

sons protect their sisters

& neighbours still look out for each other

For whatever reason they do it, it doesn't matter

In a way, we have all always been quite in this together.

So,

What's there to say really?

Not much

Except maybe I would have picked a better hometown

Still, I wouldn't change how things really went down.

easy

he said

if you ever went missing

you'd be at the bar

down the street

I wanted to ask him

what would be my drink

a salty margarita

on the rocks

like my life

and when they ask for change

I'll say

no thank you

I don't like to live that way

Don't make choices you'll regret.

Make sure you've saved money.

Don't act all high and mighty over minors just because you can legally go to jail now.

Remember, don't do stupid crap, because if you get caught, you'll have actual consequences.

Don't get too caught up in life; remember to breathe, and appreciate the little things. it'll do wonders for you mental health.

Take my advice with a grain of salt- I'm not even eighteen myself.

As stereotypical as it sounds, the best advice I can give is listen to yourself. The coming years, whether you decide to attend college or not, are going to be the best years to figure out what drives your passions and what grinds your gears. If you don't figure those things out, though, in no way are you "behind" anyone else.

I spent a semester in college abroad, and the only thing I really learned is how to take care of myself in a way that makes me happy to look in the mirror. I had to retake two of my three class final exams, and it was massive weight on my self-esteem. I would have much rather been home playing my trumpet in band. If I had listened to my heart more, I would have been able to come to that conclusion quicker.

Even as a paraprofessional, I'm still finding myself trying to listen to my heart and the hearts of my students to find ways of boosting their self-esteem and self-confidence.

Bottom line, remember to step back every once in a while and give yourself some grace. It's not easy to know exactly who you are and what you want to be. Sometimes it feels like you have to wear a mask or a costume to fit in, but as long as you are able to find and be your genuine self, you won't have to pretend to be anyone any longer.

At the peak of being grown all on your own,

there is no sense in the moan,

cause hey, you are almost grown.

Take life as it is, know that it's a hustle.

Work to build the best you, don't stop the bustle.

Listen to your elders and learn how to survive.

Stay away from street hustlers if you want to stay alive.

Start your new job with excitement and energy.

Companies will notice your genius epiphany.

Respect all that helped you succeed.

Grind for your own, you will never be in need.

At the peak of being grown,

and it's the end of the day.

You can pat yourself on the back.

Because you have paved your way.

@Luthien Happy Birthday:)

Remember Death. Not because I want you to be scared, or because you don't already, but because it is the answer to most of life's riddles. It is, in its own way, also life's biggest problem, but that is for another challenge. Death will come, and believe it now to be the violent hideous beast that it is; for when you meet that countenance eye-to-eye, there in its face will be imposed the reckoning that most of what you are and were is an irrecoverable vacuity.

Funny enough, this has its advantages, especially for a spirited eighteen-year-old in the springtime of youth. Ultimately, nothing counts save that which you place store in; and there is nothing so liberating as that. In the end what will matter in your passing are the people you have loved, the memories you have gathered, and most of all, the exploring of yourself that you have or have not yet done. Everything else is a falsehood-- an important one for various reasons, but as regards your life, a make-belief that need not bound you to grief and despair.

Remember happiness--remember that it is not waiting for your arrival. Do not expect happiness to look like anything you don't already have!

And lastly, and maybe most importantly of all: affix your purpose to a white whale.

By this I mean to attach your meaning to something that is larger than you, that overwhelms you; a beast that is slayed only in legend. To become the hero of your own story you must make it a mythology, something that is hardly believable even to you. Make of your life's purpose something that is so large and overpowering that if it could ever be done, it would take your whole life's effort--that in your narrow success you may live forever.

A buck eighty doesn’t buy much advice these days, but here's a start:

The first rule of success: Show up.

Crying is for children. That time is officially over. You are grown. Few will listen to your problems, and fewer still will care, as most have their own challenges to overcome. Going forward it is your actions that matter, not your words. It will not be easy. It is not supposed to be, but what you will become depends greatly upon what you do today, so tighten up your belt, throw the excuses aside, step forward, and show'em what you’ve got.

PS- Happy Birthday!

Advice?

Hmmm ... let’s start with relish the years you have lived. This would mean taking into account both the good and bad that has happened for they brought you to this moment.

And when you hit 18, live that year for all you are worth and then some for soon you will be on the brink of entering year 19, the last teen year of your life.

One day (and trust me when I say they move faster than you would believe), you will look back on times like now, wondering, speculating on what you could have done differently. The truth is there would be nothing for we all do what we do at the moment. Sometimes with thought, other times simply by being rash and impulsive. One could say it’s the nature of the beast.

But set your goals, reachable goals. Plan for the future even if only a day at a time. There is but one you, and right or wrong, you decide the path you walk.

... and with that, I leave you this.

https://voicespice.com/Player.aspx?c=p&h=71E3E72&j=2D4661

Year 18 is getting older and sometimes the best paths aren't always clear. Do your best to always respect those you don't know should be respected. Do your best to treat even the most wrong people how they want to be treated, often even if they are wrong, the wrong way could be right in their minds.

Also remember to live your full life, I'm still young myself, but I know that life goes way to fast for you to wait for it to happen. If you don't get out there and try things you haven't tried before or like to do, eventually you will loose the chance and it may not come back.

Don't let others control your life. Many will have views on how you should live your life, what you should say, how you should act, sometimes they are helpful views that you should let guide your path, but don't let them gain full control.

Talk to your family from time to time. This one may not apply to you as much as it might others, but your family won't always be there and you need to enjoy the time you have with them while you can. If you go off to collage or move away from your parents, make sure to call them from time to time, especially your mother. You have no idea how hard she has worked to give you everything you want or need, even if it isn't always the best way to handle things at the time.

Make good friends. Don't make friends with the cool kids just because you want to be cool, make friends with them because they are good people. Or make friends with the less liked people, sometimes they are just like you in ways you don't even realize. And don't abandon your slightly weird or open friends, often they are the best ones who will always stick beside you and usually the ones that you will keep forever. They are the ones who trust you enough to show you their best and worst sides. Don't be afraid to show them your wild side too.

There is probably a lot more I could add here or a lot that I am missing, hopefully this will help you though. It's your life.