Going Back Home…

When I first decided to move back to the Bronx after a fifteen year absence, I wasn’t sure if I’d finally gone certifiably insane, or if my destiny had finally come knocking in a way that made it impossible for me not to answer…

After such an extended hiatus from the Bronx, living a relatively peaceful existence on the tree lined streets of Virginia Beach, something bigger began to invade my every thought. And eventually seeped its way into my heart forcing me to answer my own call of duty.

I always laugh when I hear people say, “It’s not my responsibility to take care of other people’s children.”

I laugh because I wonder what ever happened to those days of, “It takes a village to raise a child?”

For me, it was as simple as seeing the light of day and realizing that because of my own past and because of what I had survived in the streets, I somehow had a unique ability to reach teens now living the same lie I once lived.

If I didn’t try to alter the mind states of as many of them as I could reach. I felt like I was nothing more than part of the problem, as opposed to being a part of the solution.

It seems to me like many of you have simply thrown in the towel and drowned yourselves in your own egos and misguided senses of self worth.

But I’m here to tell you, if you’re not trying to help someone, somewhere, in my eyes… you’re just plain worthless!

I’ll admit that my first three or four months back in New York were rough. I missed my children more than any words could ever express, I missed my family and friends… I missed things about my past life that I knew I’d never be able to revisit…

And as soon as the weather got warm, I missed the smell of fresh cut grass on the golf course. A scent that has been replaced with freshly rolled grass being smoked by the bodegas on certain corners of the South Bronx.

Yes, the backdrop to my life has once again been altered drastically. This time in reverse!

When I first heard from a close friend that two teenagers, who attended the Children Aid’s Society’s Next Generation Center, had been murdered. I did what I always do… I researched their deaths.

I was angry when I realized that nothing was mentioned about Justin and William’s deaths. No Internet articles, no news coverage, no nothing… Not a word!

And it only proved to me ever further that, one; nobody seems to care about the inner-city youth in every hood U.S.A being senselessly murdered. And two; the media definitely isn’t reporting on the deaths of our teens here in New York City.

Just a few weeks ago I received a phone call from the old neighborhood that a teen was shot on the corner of Bailey Avenue and Kingsbridge Road. A place I spent many of my own teenage years running around. The teen made it to the Chinese restaurant after being shot, stumbled inside… collapsed and died.

No need to report on it… just another animal shot dead in the streets!

This knowledge brought me to the realization that I needed to bring my Next Stop Campaign to the center and try to provide these teens with a voice of their own.

Over the last four weeks, I’ve tried my best to gain their trust, to share my life experiences with them, using my own words pulled from my memoir. And I’ve continually tried to instill in them a passion for telling their own stories of struggle and pain.

Although the group is small with only five teens participating to date, I’ve already learned a great deal about them, I’ve laughed a lot with all of them, I’ve gotten upset and frustrated with some of them and I’ve even shed some tears with a few of them.

Yeah, all that in four weeks…

Through this blog spot you will learn about these five teens and what it’s like for them to call the streets of the South Bronx home. Eventually more teens will join the crew and share their stories as well…

But for now, I now introduce to you the Next Stop Crew…

Chuchi is me twenty years ago… He makes a lot of jokes but I know he’s laughing to mask the pain he’s already been exposed to at such a young age. He wants to be a lawyer and go on in his career to be a District Attorney. I think it would be a great career for him as he always has a point he wants to argue. He has a lot of stories to tell, but I think it’s going to be a little while before he truly opens up to the world.

Darlene is someone I can never tell if she’s joking or being serious with me. She’d make a great poker player because it’s difficult to read her. She surprised me the most when she told me she wanted to learn how to open up more. She also wants to be a future President’s wife so she can use the position of power to help others. I don’t think there’s anything she can’t accomplish when she decides to start taking life more seriously and leave the partying for after college.

Cathey is Darlene’s best friend; she’s the drill sergeant of the group and wants us to be about our business when we get together. She wants to be a Veterinarian when she becomes a professional. It’s a fitting career for someone I see walking around with a tough exterior to protect her big heart. She has a lot of stories to tell and I look forward to watching her grow in this program. First I have to help her get rid of her writers block.

Veronica is someone who heard me speak prior to coming to the center. She’s already read my first book, so she knows the most about my past. That might be the reason she takes me the most seriously. I can see a lot of pain on her face and I know she needs this outlet to share her stories with the world. She’d like to be a singer so she can write songs that express the pain she feels inside. I’ve never heard her sing, but I look forward to her sharing her stories with all of you.

Mel is the straight up, “I don’t give a damn what you think of me,” personality of the group. Mel has no problem representing a life of gangs and drugs. But beneath that brick wall is a super intelligent athlete just waiting to survive this place called the South Bronx and move on to something better. But first she has to survive the pitfalls that suck many of us in before we’re able to see our full potential. I see a wealth of potential in Mel, but I have to find a way to make her see the future as more important than the street life of the present.

These are only my perceptions of the teens. But this is only a small part of who I see them being. They are all multi-talented, multifaceted, multi-dimensional personalities who are sure to introduce different sides to all of us in their future writings.

Do yourself a favor and become a “follower” of this blog spot. You’re sure to be entertained, enlightened and educated about just how difficult it is for our teens to transition to adulthood in the midst of this urban jungle we call home!

Honorable mentions to Lynne, Leslie, Mr. Porter, Unique, JB, Mr. Fisher and the rest of the staff at the Next Generation Center who have made it their mission in life to help these teens on a daily basis.

The verdict is still out on whether I did actually go certifiably insane… but there’s no question I’ll make a difference while I’m here.

Do me a favor… ask yourself… are you doing enough to make a difference in someone else’s life?

One Love,

Your Friendly Neighborhood Author, Ivan Sanchez