Against All Odds: My Story of Triumph & Resilience

By Judson Smith

To say my childhood was dysfunctional is an understatement. Although I didn't realize it until later in life, when I saw how others lived, it became clear to me that my childhood was something no one should have to go through. But of course, I did go through it. Because of the good influences in my life, I learned how to function as a contributing member of society. I believe I have succeeded whereby all accounts I should probably have just become a statistic. I would like to think that my life can be used as an example of what people can accomplish no matter what background they come from; by surrounding yourself with good people just about anything can be overcome.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jan 10, 2024
• ISBN: 9798989811410

Book preview

1

THE EARLY YEARS

To say my childhood was dysfunctional is an understatement. Although I didn’t realize it until later in life, when I saw how others lived, it became clear to me that my childhood was something no one should have to go through. But of course, I did go through it. Because of the good influences in my life, I learned how to function as a contributing member of society. I believe I have succeeded whereby all accounts I should probably have just become a statistic. I would like to think that my life can be used as an example of what people can accomplish no matter what background they come from; by surrounding yourself with good people just about anything can be overcome.

My childhood was defined by a range of challenges and difficulties that shaped who I am today. From an early age, I was exposed to alcoholism, abuse, neglect, and abandonment, which left me feeling isolated and alone and still has lasting effects to this day. Despite these struggles, I was able to persevere and find a path forward. In this memoir, I hope to share my story with others who may be experiencing the same struggles and to offer hope and inspiration to those that may feel alone. As I look back on my journey, I am grateful for the lessons I learned and the person I have become as a result of my experiences.

I was born in Kirkwood, Missouri on July 22nd, 1980, and grew up in the small town of Potosi, Missouri, about 70 miles southwest of St Louis. My mom and dad were both pretty much in and out of my life when I was growing up. I don’t ever really remember my mom having much interest in me and my dad was an abusive alcoholic. I remember several instances when I was young seeing my dad physically beat up my mom and abuse her. The only person that would stand up to my dad was my paternal grandmother. Whenever my dad would act up or do something wrong, she would set him straight. It would always amaze me how she would control him when he was drunk and acting up. I remember seeing her come in and grab him by the shirt collar, slap him and he would just go down to the floor on his knees and immediately stop whatever he was doing. My grandmother was the one who could control him. Sadly, she died when I was nine years old after a stroke.

My dad worked as a security guard in the iron mines and suffered a traumatic injury to his back so for most of my childhood he didn’t work. Maybe that contributed to his alcoholism and abuse. For me, a night out with the family consisted of going to the bar where we might get a burger while Mom and Dad drank.

As I mentioned earlier, my mom and I never really had much of a relationship. In fact, she wound up leaving my dad when I was around 10 or 11 years old. One day my mom waited for Dad to leave the house and she packed up the car and left him with my sister and me. We went to live with her ex husband, the father of my half sister and half brother, where I stayed for a couple of weeks before I returned home to live with my dad.

During my time living with him, I spent almost every waking hour at my grandparent’s 220-acre farm when I wasn’t in school. It was those days spent with my Grandpa Griggs that I remember fondly and still cherish. My grandpa was the kind of man every small town has at least one of: Someone that all the residents know and can count on. He always welcomed people to his farm, which bordered the Mark Twain National Forest, and people would come over to fish and hunt around the area. I fondly remember going hunting and fishing with my grandpa as he would impart his wisdom about life and how to treat people. He was the type of man people could count on and there were many times he gave people in need money to pay their bills or helped them in some other way. I don’t remember anyone ever saying anything bad about him, and in fact, he was one of the most respected men I have ever known.

I spent several days at a time staying with my grandparents on the farm, going home for a couple of days only to return to the farm as soon as I could. One day when I was around 12 years old, I missed the bus from school, so I went home to my dad’s house. Little did I know my grandpa had ridden his tractor to the bus stop to pick me up from school. When the bus didn’t stop and kept on going, he went back home. It was on a Friday during turkey hunting season and the telephone