February 18, 1975 (reposted from my tumblr account)

In the year 1975, the average Cost of new house was $39,300.00 US dollars. In February of that year a baby girl was born, in Abington, Pennsylvania (a suburb of Philadelphia) in a hospital with the same name. Many years prior to this baby girl’s birth Abington Hospital refused to deliver “colored” babies inside the hospital, they delivered them on the porch of the hospital. Fast forward 2008, white woman gives birth in same hospital but tells staff “No Black staff member is to touch her baby,” > Back to 1975 this baby girl is the second daughter born to her mother, an the unknown number of children born to her father. >Fast Forward to this baby girl’s seventh year of life her mother tells her that she wanted to abort her, but that the girl’s father thought it would be “Good” for the mother’s first daughter to have someone to play with. >Back to 1975, the average Income per year $14,100.00 US dollars. The baby girl’s first few years were spent living with her parents, but she was taught all her firsts by a woman who sat for her.

She was potty trained, transitioned from bottle to sippy cup, her sister whom walked before crawling was taught to crawl by this care taker. Her parents rented out a small apartment in the Willow Grove area, the average Monthly Rent was $200.00. The baby girl’s maternal grandfather was a hustler and dwelt in illegal events, many which had to do with the car dealership in which is was employed. He arranged for her mother to obtain a new vehicle for a small price. In 1975 the cost of a gallon of Gas was 44 cents, while the average cost of a new car was $4,250.00, a fraction of what the baby girl’s parents paid for their new vehicle.

During this time there was many things taking place in the world, soon to be recorded in history such as in the UK The British Conservative Party chooses it’s first women leader, Margaret Thatcher. In Vietnam the war ends as Communist forces take Saigon and South Vietnam surrenders unconditionally. While in the United States, New York City avoids bankruptcy when President Gerald R. Ford signed a $2.3 billion loan, also the US Pulls out of Cambodia. While the unemployment rate in the US reaches 9.2% and recession is recognized by President Ford. There was also, the first ever strike by Doctors in the US, which caused hospitals to reduce services. Jimmy Hoffa ex teamsters boss disappears never to be seen again, Patti Hearst becomes most wanted and is arrested for armed robbery. Meanwhile the United States moves along within the field of technology, Bill Gates and Paul Allen develop a BASIC program for the Altair 8800, The name “Micro-soft” (for microcomputer software) and Microsoft becomes a registered trademark. BIC launches first disposable Razor. Sony introduces Betamax videotapes and Matsushita / JVC introduces VHS. Cray-1, the first commercially developed supercomputer, invented by Seymour Cray.

Back to the birth of this baby girl, years pass by her parents hustle a bit to get things they wanted or needed. Her mother is arrested for dragging an Abington police officer during a routine traffic stop in which this baby girl bites the hand of the police officer as he’s hanging onto her mother’s automobile. Her mother is arrested and serves sometime in a correctional facility, something the girl briefly remembers only in bits an pieces that appear as if they were a dream to her.

A few years later her mother moves away from her father as she grew weary of the physical fighting. This girl is no longer a baby her mother settles into a quite neighborhood in Philadelphia where the young girl started to attend elementary school. Around this time the girl’s mother meets a man, she begins what turns out to be a twenty-five year long relationship. This new man, introduces the girl’s mother to alcohol, cocaine and marijuana. The girl’s mother becomes careless, abusive, mentally as well as verbally. The mother begins to beat her two daughters until she passes out or they are beat to the point of being severely injured. The man her mother is dating is married, unemployed and sells narcotics in order to make a living for his wife, children, and what money he contributed to his “girlfriends on the side”, and their children. The man uses large amounts of cocaine, he abuses the girl’s mother between there loud sexual get episodes. The girl visits her father on some weekends, during this time her father was living off of his father, who was a string proud grandfather, a former First African American police officer of the Abington, PA police force and former Tuskeegee airman and Corporal. This young girl’s father was also unemployed and sold drugs to feed his own drug habits as well, without providing any type of support for the many children in which he had fathered over the many years, including the ONLY two children that he saw on a regular basis.

Over the next twenty-five years the girl grows into adulthood, without much formal lessons about life from her mother nor father. The abuse continued the entire time, the many men came and went from her mother’s life with the one remaining the same off and on throughout the years. Her mother’s drinking gets worse causing her mother to be raped, robbed, crashes into a front wall of a hospital nearly killing herself, breaks limbs, is beaten in a bar attack, suspended from her job and sent to rehab two times, one for coming to work drunk, she totals several cars, moves herself and children to many different places within the city, has sex with a man while her two daughters are in the bed with her, rapes her sister along with her sister’s boyfriend while her two children are in the home listening, crying, and scared.

In the year 2010 the baby girl who has turned into a woman prepares to turn thirty-five years old. Having become a mother herself, a non drinker/drug user, single lesbian, formerly in three abusive relationships, always ending up in relationships with self centered, abusive mentally/physically, always giving, rarely receiving, soft spoken, clinically depressed, with a powerful uncontrollable anger streak. Who would give freely of herself with pride and joy. Talks a little to much to strangers, has given money to people she’s never known, bought things for people who barely know her, loves with all her heart, cries upon hearing of someone in pain, need, or illness. She works hard, is underpaid, rarely appreciated for what she does over and beyond what’s asked of her, still plays with toys by herself, read/collects comic books, was only truly in love once which didn’t work out pushed her to the brink of insanity. Paints pictures no one sees, draws cartoons that no one reads, smiles while no one watches, sits in silence watching others while they complain of nothing, hates liars/lies, is always turned off by unappreciative people, often has crushes on people that don’t want her, goes to sleep feeling like the day was wasted, awakes with the sign of the cross and thanks God every morning. Is afraid of heights, small places and dying alone. Cares not what people think of her, because she has come a long way, and in four days she’ll celebrate her birthday which will go on without much fanfare and probably forgotten by the people that brought her into this world!!!

Happy Birthday baby girl, I love you!!!