there's no reason to live life in darkness

the jakarta post, | Sun, 02/07/2010 4:31 PM

Growing up with a single parent is actually not that bad, because it gave me an opportunity to learn how to stand on my own feet earlier than most.

My parents got divorced when I was six years old. They fought a lot and it ended with a separation. As an only child and when my mom was at work, it was just me and the maid when I came home
from school.

But I did not think of this as a burden. Instead, I tried to learn how to do lots of things by myself. In high school I started to look for extra cash by myself by becoming an emcee and a fashion model. This turned out to be fun.

Also, to escape my loneliness I took part in several after-school activities, where I made lots of friends.

I was so glad to have
someone who I looked after, and at the same time I was also getting attention from someone else — attention that I did not get from my family.

I can say now that friends and activities are the best way to get away from such issues. And thanks to them, I was able to make better choices, and keep my guard up against things like drugs.

The comfort I found among my close circle of friends became the most important key to define what family is to me. Some of them are older than me, which makes it easier for me to share my feelings with them, and I also learn a lot from them. So, as the only child, they are my brothers.

The one thing I miss now is when some of my friends talk about their fathers, and how they got scolded, or how they argued. I can not join such discussions because I did not have such experiences.

But hey, this is my life, so I have to face it.

And now, my mother has remarried. It was awkward at first — having someone else besides me and my mom, but everything has worked out fine. And although I do not see him as a father and do not want him to interfere too much with my life, I have a lot of respect for him.

AG
http://www.thejakartapost.com/youthspeak/3/2/family-issues-no-reason-live-life-darkness.html