Deep in the trenches, where its inhabitants wanted to enjoy life, have fun, and make money. The fear of poverty is the driving force that can either make or break a life. Kids raised amidst chaos in a neighborhood where original gangsters, prostitutes, and drug addicts in desperate situations became family. Rolling the dice—figuratively and literally—running sports balls and the streets. Smoking, drinking, gambling, yet studying to be great. Gunfire erupts like in the days of Vietnam, but it isn't a foreign country.  Having had harrowing experiences of being shot at on several occasions. Dodging death, living life like a lottery pick. Will it be me next? Brother friends, whose blood was different, created the motto, “Death before dishonor.”   My childhood was marked by survival and resilience, which was normal as I grew up in the vibrant yet perilous streets of 8132 Backstreet.