There was a young teenager by the name of Ray Abbott II, who looked to be no more than 13 or 14 years old. He hitchhiked and ended up in Los Angeles, CA. His parents went to his bedroom to check on where their son was and discovered he had a ventriloquist dummy in his bed. Ray's parents saw this coming because Ray would leave notes under his parents' bedroom door saying he wasn’t happy, and he was tired of everyone blaming him for stuff that wasn’t his fault. He decided the best way to hitchhike was to get some food out of the refrigerator and he even stole money from his mom’s purse. The hitchhiker felt that it was the best way that he would get respect. Ray had never run away from home before, but he didn’t care if he got caught or if the police saw him wandering in the street. After getting several different rides, Ray wound up in Cali not knowing a soul, so he met some friends who took Ray to a shelter. One of the friend's name was Joseph. The hitchhiker had enough food for himself and the friends.
Meanwhile, back in Springfield, MO, Ray the hitchhiker's parents was worried. They didn’t know where their son was and was wondering why he took off like he did. Since he was in Cali and Ray's parents were in MO, there was no way where they could call the police. Ray thought that he was just going to runaway but the people who worked in the shelter knew where Ray was from. They decided to let him call his parents because they didn’t want to bust him. Ray was saying how his parents never listen to him and how they are overprotective and blah blah blah.
Joseph was telling him a story about how when you are in a shelter like where they were at that there is really no freedom there. In fact, everyone has curfew at 10 PM and you have to be out at a certain time. Since they were in the ghetto part of California, Joseph was telling Ray how they take your clothes and that there really is no privacy. Joseph was trying to break off some knowledge to little Ray Ray. Ray just didn’t look at the long-term effects it would have on him if he ran away from home. He was thinking that he would get respect but if he was going to be on the streets where he would encounter thugs like he wouldn’t imagine, Ray could get kidnapped, and easily be beaten up by thugs his age.
Finally, after the pep talk from Joseph and the other people at the shelter Ray borrowed their phone to call his parents to come get him. Ray’s parents came and got him and brought him back to Missouri. They told him that there is nothing too serious where he had to run away. Ray had to do serious Community service for what he had put his parents through wondering where their son was at. Ray's parents promised him that they wouldn’t be too busy when Ray got stuff to say.
Three years ago, I was 13 going on 14 years old and I remember hitchhiking from my hometown of Springfield, MO and wound up in Los Angeles, CA at a shelter. I was a little runt who used to act like a spoiled kid. I remember leaving those notes telling my parents that I would run away from home. I am Ray Abbott II now 17 years old. I tested my parents meaning I would do stuff for attention just to see what kind of reaction I would get from them. I am my parents only child and I felt that they treated me like I was their baby and also as their independent child. I’m thinking to myself if I only had a younger brother or a younger sister that things would be better (actually I felt that my parents would pay even less attention to me). I felt either way I would be screwed. I had a chance to get a big wakeup call when Joseph, who worked at the shelter talked some sense into me. He basically told me that trying to live the thug life as a young teenager will get me beat down. Once I realized that what Joseph said to me hit home, I used the worker’s phone and called my mom and dad to come get me because I was ready to go home. I had my parents worrying about me and I could have just tried communicating with them even if I don’t always agree with them. I have friends where I am from, who grew up with only one parent raising them (whether it being just mom or just dad in the home).
I have two parents who love me and who really care about me enough that they will do all they can to help me if I need help. I had a chance to think about that while I was doing my community service for a year (from 13 ½ years old until I was 15 years old). I am going to be a senior in high school and thought that I would write this reflecting how much I have matured during that time. Well, I have not run away from home since that incident. I realize no matter how much I think I have it bad or that life sucks there is people who have it a whole lot worse than me. There are kids who have been abandoned by their parents and whose grandparents are raising them or kids who are in foster care because they were abused by their parents when they were kids. Sometimes we don’t always look at the whole picture. I am blessed that my parents are always there for me when I need them. My mom (Mrs. Jolene Abbott) always come to my room with delicious baked chocolate chip peanut butter cookies and my dad (Mr. Ray Abbott I) always leaves $10 or $20 on my desk so I can buy school lunch at the cafeteria. No matter how much I think that things are screwed up I can always count on my parents being there for me.
Springfield, MO (Home)
Dad’s $20 (Ray Abbott I)
$10 (The money that Ray Abbott II get for school lunch is like his allowance for the week whether it be $10 or $20.)
Baked delicious peanut butter chocolate chip cookies! (Ray Abbott II’s mom Jolene Abbott baked and always comes up to his room to bring these delicious cookies to him whether he is doing homework, studying, or just relaxing.)
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