Behind Closed Doors

When I was a young child times were hard and my mom made the decision to enroll me in school early at a private Catholic school in Fontana, California. I was definitely smart and probably too smart for my own good. So in first grade, at the young age of "5", I would frequently finish my classwork early and would fidget in my chair. Eventually, only a few weeks into the school year, my school teacher made the decision to lock me in a book closet at the back of the classroom as a punishment for my behaviour.  Everyday for the remainder of the school year she would walk me back to the book closet, which was small and dark, for the remainder of the school day.

As I would sit in this small, dark closet, for as much as 3 to 4 hours per day, I began to think. There honestly wasn't much more to do than think inside my head and live through make-believe stories or the readings from the bible that my grandmother often read to me for bedtime. The closet was small and dark with stacks of book boxes surrounding me, there was only enough room for me to sit still and quiet, with the light out, completely quiet. You see, the teacher would often tell me that there was a spider who lived in the book closet and didn't like noise. That the spider would quickly bite me if I made so much as even a peep.

Through this experience I developed the accolade of inner strength and the ability to pursue and accomplish anything I set my mind to. This mentality of perseverance and accomplishment has led to overcoming several challenges throughout my childhood and my life.