I Won't Let My Past Dictate My Future

By Cheryl Davenport

This book was written to help and inspire people of every age to learn how to cope with, and manage unstable situations. I hope that I am able to help people find the strength and courage to come out of something that seems almost impossible. I wrote this story about my life to help others who may be in something similar to know that there is victory on the other side of the fight. Don't give up, your breakthrough is just around the corner.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cheryl Davenport
• Release date: Jun 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223520207

Cheryl Davenport

I have always been a person that wanted to reach millions just by sharing my story. My testimony will hopefully touch the lives of many to come. I can only hope that you are inspired by reading about my life's story. The struggles that I went through at such a early age, and failed relationships has made me the person that I am today. Enjoy reading. 

Book preview

Written By

Cheryl Davenport

I have not always been good at expressing myself verbally, but there are times in your life when situations will force you to do things differently. Life doesn't always turn out the way you expect it to either, one thing is for sure you better be prepared for it. If my grown adult self could have been a teacher for my younger self, I probably wouldn't have had it so bad. But some people take the things that happen in their life and let them take too much control over them, and they let it go. Me on the other hand, I am a fighter until the end. I'm the person that would keep going and going and would try to figure out which way I needed to go. Has someone ever pushed you over the edge? Or took you out of your comfort zone? You know some people are just content with the same foods, the same clothes, the same hairstyle, and if you take any of that from them, it's like telling them that someone died in their family or something.

If God wanted you to do the same thing every day, all the time, he wouldn't have put obstacles in your way. To get somewhere in life you have to do things differently than everyone else. But as the saying goes: You have to take life for how it comes and make the best out of it. If you want to be a helper to others, give sound advice, and don't turn a deaf ear to them. Have you ever had someone change your life just by you meeting them? Those are the priceless moments that I enjoy, especially when they can come back and say thank you for being a listening ear and helping me get over a tough time. My high school years were not the typical high schooler's dream. I somewhat liked school and didn't have many friends at the time either. My 9th-grade year was in one state, and I really can't remember anything about that year. For the next three years, I went back and forth to two different states, simply because I was living with my mom for a year and my dad for a year.

During my school years, I was a real class clown. Everybody needs a laugh every now and then, right? I didn't see anything wrong with it. But of course, my teachers didn't find this too fascinating. I can't remember having any stable friends at the time, probably because I never stayed in one place for a long time. And growing up in my environment, staying in one house for a long period of time was extinct, it just didn't happen. I grew up in the country, and we all know that it's not the silver spoon lifestyle that we imagine, the one that everyone dreams of. My family was always loving and would do anything to have us in a comfortable environment.

I actually was from a very big family though. On my mom's side, I had a brother and a sister with seven nephews and a niece. And they were all such sweet kids. And very humble and sweet. I would sometimes keep them and one summer, I brought a little pool just so they could play in it. They had so much fun getting dashed with the water. And two of my nephews even helped me move one time. On my dad's side, I had three sisters and a brother (or two) LOL. I had four nieces and three nephews. Even though they all lived out of state, they would love it when we visit them, they would be a little shy until they warm up to you. And they were all such humble kids.

My mom lived in what I would call the brick wall projects. Where everybody knew who came to your house, what time they left, and how many people were at your house. Why when people come to your house, they do not know when to leave? That's that southern charm welcoming them in, I guess. The quarters were so close together, your neighbors knew when and what you were cooking. And if you went outside to sit on the porch, they would come outside to sit on the porch. I guess it was a good thing, you could always borrow milk, eggs, and sugar. It was one way in and one way out. So, if someone drove up the street in the projects, you could hear them from a mile away.

There were only a few stores in town. A grocery store, a clothes store, a liquor store, a gas station, and the city hall. Talk about small living, where everybody knew everybody's business. Everybody knew your whole family, and nine times out of 10, you had 10 relatives that you didn't know about. Now, this was normal, because your family always keep secrets, and didn't tell kids everything. They always figured children didn't need to know all of the grown folk's business. Abuse and talking about things like rape were always kept quiet. People didn't want to go to the health professionals to get diagnosed with mental illness, depression, anxiety, or anything else that mattered, I guess people think if you just keep going through the motions, don't say anything to anybody, don't tell people what you are going through those things would just vanish away, and not return. You cannot handle any of these alone.

You pretty much had to just deal with the situation and keep it moving. I am just glad that I had the experience to go through a struggle with not having much and maintaining what I have. Trust me there is nothing wrong with wanting better for yourself, and your family, and achieving more. It's not that you are better than everybody else, your mindset is just different than others. Some people are just content with staying in the same place, living the same way day in and out. You just don't let people change the way that you think. The only person that can change your destiny and help you achieve your goals is YOU! Now if you can find a faithful few friends that will support you, and be there for you when you need them, you are in good shape. But growing up in this environment has most definitely made me a stronger adult.

I know for sure during middle school and high school my mom moved at least three times, and that's off the top of my head guessing. I didn't have any major plans like normal teens would plan before getting out of high school, like colleges that I wanted to attend or what I wanted to major in. I was just plain ol' different. I remember a time when I was so frustrated at school with this boy, and I ended up fighting him, but those days are behind me now. Late one summer my mom moved in with one of her cousins on her mom's side of the family. The house had a weird setup if you asked me. It was a double-sided house with a kitchen on each side, and rooms on each side, more like a duplex but together. She had four or five children that lived with her. I think maybe 3 sons and two daughters.

It was very chaotic in the house, always something going on, and she always had company over. It was the sort