This story is by Natalie Cortez and was part of our 2017 Fall Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here.
Late summer of 1981 to a young mother who was 22 and a father who was 28. Who knows what they were thinking because they were too young and barely married. I was born at 5:30 in the morning, but when I was born I didn’t cry and my mother was worried sick. So the doctor that who was holding me how to make a very fast decision on what to do, and he decided to give me a shot to wake me up which made me cry and releaved my mom.
From out of very young age I was developmentally delayed because of how I was born which was a floppy baby. My philosophy about this is the fact that because I wasn’t crying,I wasn’t breathing well which blocked off oxygen to the brain which killed off brain cells.
So when I was in kindergarten my teacher saw that I was struggling so she talked to my parents and her and they decided to put me in special at. I believe to my knowing that it was hard for them to do so but it was the best for me. So when I got placed special ed I also got to have speech therapy. From the first grade to the 11th grade I had to have IEP tests every year or so. It was really hard and tiring to endure that but once again it was the best thing for me it also helps parents and teachers know where I stood when I came to learning new things.
When it came to Junior High that is when I started getting picked on and so-called bullying. It was no fun and it caused me to hate school. I don’t know why I never spoke up about this maybe because I didn’t know how.
In high school I was also bullied but it got worse. I was bullied at CCOC and it was about being a virgin. So when I finally had a boyfriend I gave in because I didn’t want to miss out on anything and because of being bullied in school. At age 17 I got my first job at Taco Bell cleaning tables and Floors and taking orders. It was the first worst job I ever had.
At the age of 20 I tended Foothill College. I attended program that was a waste of time. Like it was a program for a while that I kept saying why did I take that program what was the point. After that I took a break and I think I worked for a while but who knows that all became a blur cuz that was 16 years ago.
At the age of 22 I got hired at Albertson’s bagging groceries for customers. At some point in my life at that time I thought I was just going to retire at a grocery store but after 14 years I’m starting to change my mind and which to me caregiving to me would be a more ful feeling job.
Now I live in Santa Rosa and I couldn’t be happier because I work for Safeway, have a new boyfriend and I turned over a new leaf in my life! I couldnt ask for anything else! I also found a great church too. For my faith and spiritual growth has grown surmounting amounts, I can’t tell you how much my faith in God has grown!auntienat30@gmail.com
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