Ladies and gentlemen, you don’t have to become a statistic in life. Regardless of your background, you have the power to overcome any situation if you make the choice to do so. I did. By making some good choices throughout my life, I was able to overcome a dysfunctional family and an abusive step-father, who did everything within his power to drag me down. I was able to avoid the pit falls of bad choices, and thus avoid the inevitable consequences of prison. The odds were stacked against me and my five siblings as four of them succumbed to the negativity of the household and the peer pressure outside the home. As a result, the four ended up spending time in prison. However, three of the four have since turned their lives around and are doing well. It’s never too late to break the negative cycles in your life.