Beating The System: My Life In Foster Care

By Marquis Williams

There are stories that can reach into our hearts and tear at them with an unrelenting force and there are others, which delve deep into our subconscious and leave an indelible mark on it. Sometimes these stories come with an unremitting feeling of hopelessness and a sadness that knows no end, while others deliver nuances of anticipation that the

• Language: English
• Publisher: Marquis Williams
• Release date: Aug 3, 2017
• ISBN: 9781626768628

Book preview

TABLE OF CONTENTS

BEATING THE SYSTEM

PREFACE

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

BEATING THE SYSTEM

My Life in Foster Care

by

MARQUIS WILLIAMS

Grivante Press

ISBN-13: 978-1626768628

ISBN-10: 1626768625

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© 2017 Marquis Williams. All rights reserved

Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.

- Michael Jordan

PREFACE

I contemplated writing this book for quite a long time. I’ve never really had a strong interest in writing prior to this endeavor, however it has been a solid skillset of mine that I have come to develop over time. My decision to write this memoir transpired after graduating from college in 2014 when I began the process of reflecting on my past and subsequently the obstacles I had overcome to reach that momentous milestone. During this process I revisited memories and experiences from my childhood that I mentally blocked out and had erased for years because I thought they were behind me. Naturally, I am an extremely private person and will typically shy away from sharing detailed personal stories about myself, even with those who are closest to me. Post graduation my work involved mentoring and advocating on behalf of youth. This work taught me the importance of being reflective, open and authentic about my past, not ashamed of it, and using my story as a means to help motivate others and bring change and awareness to common issues foster youth face. I figured there was a prime opportunity for me to publish something in this space. I hope that my story will inspire current foster youth to believe in resilience and optimism; motivate current parents and caretakers regardless of title—Biological, Foster, Legal Guardian, Adoptive etc—to provide additional encouragement, love and support; and embolden all advocators, social workers and any other professional who works directly with our most vulnerable youth population to continue to help fight for more success stories and less tragic ones.

CHAPTER 1

Your problems never cease. They just change.

-Phil Jackson

I’ve always been drawn to basketball. I think the first time it really became important to me was when I was about seven years old. It was recess, and I was bouncing the big orange ball. I remember the sound of other boys running around me, clumsily reaching their long, scrawny arms through crevices and cracks as I did my best to run towards the hoop. I remember the first time I made a basket- especially the way the chain crashed against the rim. It sounded like hundreds of diamonds sprinkled over the pavement. Reflecting the warmth of a Compton sun, the asphalt glimmered with hope and rejuvenation, and I knew I’d discovered my favorite pastime.

People often say that I am soft-spoken and reserved. The truth is that it is very hard for me to get close to or open up to others. There is not enough spoken direction; I’m never exactly sure what they want me to say, or where the conversation needs to go. With basketball, it’s different. I know exactly what is expected of me and what I mean to the team. We communicate through our bodies, our minds and our souls. There is an underlying clairvoyance to our movements like a starling system in the sky. We ebb and flow with sacred instincts, moving towards the same goal, a spherical object falling through a hole.

I believe, similar to the realm of psychology, that we are products of both nature and nurture. My nature has always been gentle and kind, but through nurture, or the lack thereof, I’ve had to integrate what it means to be unwanted and unloved. When playing basketball my nature tells me where to run and jump, but when it comes to playing the game of life, there are feelings and experiences I’m not sure I’ll ever understand. From the age of eight to thirteen I was a child of the foster care system. I lived in ten different homes and went to fifteen different schools. Time and time again, it became apparent to me that I was not a real part of each family, and that I would never truly belong.

We are social-creatures who long for connection and to feel as though we are a part of something. We live in a world where families are broken and ripped apart every day. The ability to find oneself through interdependent situations is becoming less and less possible all the time. We live in an individualized culture and there are many benefits to this. However, we seem to have forgotten the value of what it means to stick together like a team. It is especially difficult for a child to understand what is happening to them when they are thrown into the system. In many cases they are separated from siblings and placed in strange and unfamiliar surroundings. Social workers do their best to offer comfort and support, but in California most are overwhelmed and worn out from excessive caseloads. In this country a child enters the foster care system every two minutes. Being that there are so many of us, it’s ironic that so many of us grow up feeling alone.

Like many, I never knew my father. I grew up with my Grandmother Cleo while my mother was in and out of rehab or jail for drug and theft charges. I had four older siblings who had a different father than me, and a little brother with a different father as well. Out of the three men, my father was the only one whose identity was unknown. In some ways

Reviews for Beating The System

[Lola Datsomor · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautifully written! I wish Marquis all the best in his future endeavors.