I often wondered what life would be like without strong values. These teachings are an important part of who you become. Although we are not born with them, we are taught them from generation to generation. Because of the values I acquired as a child, this has enabled me to become the person I am today. I have learned to make good decisions and how to treat people with respect using these values. I often wondered what life would be like without them.
             I was born on August 28, 1970 in the small town of Louisville, Alabama. My life was very humble, and we didn't have much. I was always taught to be thankful of everything we had and not to look down on those that didn't. We lived on a farm that consisted of cows, hogs, chicken, eleven cats, and two dogs. Sometimes I felt like Noah in the Bible, because we had almost two of everything. My grandparents would get up at the crack of dawn to feed the animals and do their morning chores. I never once heard them complain about life; they just took it day by day. Back then kids all had to clean up, wash dishes, cut the grass, and work in the fields.
             Even though I learned the value of hard work, school was an opportunity to get away from all that farming. I often tell friends that my school was very small. We had kindergarten through twelve grade in one area. School allowed me to learn and interact with other kids. Education was very important in our house, because my mother and grandparents wanted their children to enjoy advantages they didn't. I was very lucky to have people that cared.
             In 1983, I learned how to drive and that was an exciting time in my life. Although I didn't get my driver's license until sixteen, I was able to take my grandparents to the store, church, and to the doctor. One of the advantages of growing up in a small town was that police knew a person didn't have license, but if you're helping your family
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