Personal Narrative: There's No Easy Way Out

Skyla Pappas
ENG 121
Julie Voss
09-08-2014
There’s No Easy Way Out I believe in nothing. However, my lack of beliefs should not to be confused with pessimism. I was raised in a household that most would consider to be dysfunctional. For as long as I can remember, I was expected to believe that if I stayed optimistic and held my head up high, things would turn around. This never seemed to be the case. I’ve never found that blind faith in beliefs are enough to change life for the better. People should be motivated by strengthening their own self-worth, and following through with the tough decisions that they need to make a change. Surrounded by chaos, I was expected to love life and all the people in it, when on any given day I was forced to deal with pain and strife. You’re still supposed to force a smile though, right? I lived in a small apartment with the dining room floor as a bed. Having a mom as an alcoholic was hard enough, but at the same time I was

From that moment on I was working over forty hours a week, trying to support myself. This became overwhelming and tiresome, and led me to the decision of dropping out of high school. Many people did not understand, and looked down on me for this. Only the people who knew me well could understand. Through the support of my friends and teachers, I decided to do what was best for me. I never wanted to leave school. School had always been my safe haven, but I had to leave it behind and continue the path of life.
 People become addicted because it’s a form of a coping mechanism used in tough life situations. I know this first hand. Even after leaving the situation itself, it was still hard for me to get out of it. I never realized that with doing what you want, you lose what you need, except that drug. The drug is always there, and because it’s always there, it’s easy to make it apart of your