As I mentioned in my earlier blog, I was 14, pregnant, going to an alternative middle school (because I'd been thrown out of the main stream school system), I was a chronic runaway, and I was on probation, minutes away from being sent to jail for fighting. I was always fighting with other girls, other people, and running away for no reason other then I wanted to do what I wanted to do. At the time my biggest goals were getting pregnant and running with a gang. Yes I was an aspiring gang member. A fourteen year old white girl from small town U.S.A, as I made mention I was the frame work of which talk shows would one day be made of.
When the talk my baby being taken from me turned serious, so did I. I knew a few teen moms raising their children, I also knew a few teen moms whose children had been removed. My step sister at the time, had been in jail, and had a baby at 16. She also lost custody of my "nephew" during the time I was pregnant. She went to jail again, this time adult jail. That was tragic enough for me to start to make changes.
I bought every parenting book from every second hand shop I could get my hands on. I read and I read. I wanted everyone to see I was taking this baby business seriously. I ditched the wild crowd I'd been running with for the normal teenage future success story crowd I'd been on the outskirts of for sometime. I brought my grades up and then I made my proposition.
Sitting facing my mother and my probation officer, listening to more ideas of adoption and Department of Children and Families involvement, I said it.. I said what I'd been keeping in for months into my pregnancy. What if I moved into a home for unwed mothers. Even then it seemed like dinosaur of an idea. Some throw back from the 1950's but I was shocked when my p.o. stopped what she was saying..looked me in the eye with surprise and told me that was a good idea, she would look into it. That became the plan.
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