I know a guy who’s been handed the worst deck of cards.

Born into a family of addicts and criminals. More drugs in the home than food. No mom, no dad. Thousands of dollars in his pocket but none of it came without a cost. Stealing cars at 10. Every friend he’s ever had has been locked up or killed, but at the end of the day, he’s got himself.

He dreams of having a family and providing. He wants to be a master electrician. He’s graduating high school at 17. He’s never put his hands on a woman despite growing up in an environment with men who did. He communicates well and loves hard. He is everything he wasn’t raised to be.

When I met him I was scared of him because he came from a past that was so different then mine. I assumed what kind of person he was solely on how he carried himself and what he looked like. I was right but so wrong and that shows far more about my character than his. He’s faced everything wrong but has done everything right, and the only thing he has is himself.

It’s amazing how someone can be pinned against the world like a shield just made to take all the hits but still come out alive. None of this to say that he doesn’t feel negativity and doesn’t feel all the weight of the world, but all of this to say that he doesn’t let it change him or become him. I’ve personally never met someone with such a raw background but still get along with them as if we aren’t any different. Perception of the world makes a huge difference, and recognizing that everyone makes mistakes is key. His favorite sentence is “I’m only human” which is inspiring and sad because he’s faced the world by himself and he’s only 16.

Beyond Baby Thug, it makes me think about all the people who grew up the same but kept going down the same path. Unfortunately and realistically it happens to a lot of people. Good people. People who were never given a chance from the beginning and believe that for the rest of their lives. My heart goes out to those people, the ones that think at the end of the day they only have themselves.