I'm a bit new to civilized life

[Azure_Storm]

I'm 17, and I live in West Virginia.  I used to live deep in the mountains with my family, my home being far away from any kind of civilisation.  I never went to school, and my only source of education were the few books we had lying around.  I taught myself to read and write from the Bible, Moby Dick, and Of Mice and Men.  The hillbilly lifestyle is a very active one, and I was in better shape than most people could ever dream about.  We took a lot of inspiration from the American Indians, and so we used a great many of their methods and told a lot of their tales.  

 

When I was 15 the law came and took me and my siblings away from our people, separated us and put us into foster care.  The loss of my home and family caused me to have severe depression, which I cope with even today.  I am lucky to have found my way into a good home, with good people, who encourage me to excel academically (I'm at the top of my junior class).  But, my lifestyle since leaving home has been less than healthy; my muscles have deteriorated, and I've put on quite a bit of weight.  I hope to get back into shape soon.  

 

An Indian story that I've been thinking about lately: An Indian youth was disappointed in his lack of strength, believing his weakness to displease the spirits.  So he begs the spirits to give him great strength.  The spirits tell him to climb to the top of the mountain, and he will find a boulder there.  The told him that they would grant him the strength he desires if he can push the boulder off of the mountain.  So every day for like, a year, he climbs the mountain, and pushes with everything he has to try to dislodge the boulder.  Then one day he cries to the spirits, "I cannot dislodge the boulder, why have you given me such an impossible task?"  To which the spirits reply, "But in pushing the boulder, you have given yourself great strength."

[Lydiechan]

Welcome to the Rebellion, Azure_Storm.  If there's one thing you've taught yourself, it's that you have the ability to do whatever you put your mind to.  We'll be rooting for you!

[Guzzi]

Welcome on board.  I'm sorry to hear that you've had such a difficult episode in your young life, it must be awful to be wrenched away from your family like that.  Every cloud has it's silver lining though and you seem a very bright, intelligent person and it's good that you have now got the opportunity to get a real education.  I hope that you are able to do wonderful things in your life

 

Have you found your way around the forum alright?  Is there anything that we can help you with?  Most people take part in the 4 Week Challenges, the next one starts on the 12th if you're interested?

 

Guzzi

[White Cedar]

Welcome to you Azure_Storm. I love the name you've chosen. While I didn't have the same childhood experience as you exactly, I did spend my first five years living high in the mountains. My parents worked for the Forest Service and came down only a few times a year for supplies. As an only child at the time, I was allowed to run amok and my friends were the trees and rocks and flowers. I truly believe my love of nature and the peace I feel there was soundly imprinted then. And there's a lot of good in the old lore. When I stumbled into a ground wasp nest and was stung 100's of times, I would have died had it not been for this prospector that came along with his burro piled high with packs. He pulled out a bottle of whiskey and mixed it with dirt and slathered the mud all over me. The alcohol mud pack pulled out enough of the wasp venom that I lived. One of the neat things I imagine you learned in the mountains is that life has cycles and seasons. Where some of us struggle with the process, you innately know that with time you can make any changes to your life that you want. Living in the mountains was another type of civilization and a good one. Good luck and I'm excited for you.

White Cedar

  

[WolfDreamer]

Welcome @Azure_Storm. What an excellent and inspiring story of the young Native American boy. I am from West Virginia, as well, and I have some Cherokee ancestry, so that story really resonated. If it's one thing I know it is that West Virginians are strong and we survive the stereotypes as well as the realities of Appalachian life. I celebrate your courage and your will to improve yourself while still honoring your past and how it has impacted you.

 

The good news is that you get to create the person you want to be. Sure, our environment and the things that happen to us have an impact on us, as well, but we can control how they impact us: do they defeat us or do we overcome them? You seem like an overcomer to me. Keep strong, make decisions every day to become the person you want to be. To use your story: climb that mountain and push that boulder every day.

 

Welcome to the Rebellion.

[DyDy]

What a beautiful story! And welcome to NF! I would love to get a more active lifestyle like you want it as well. As in the story, I think that making a decision to do something everyday is a good one.