Source: Wiki Commons

Growing up in Brazil, J. Taylor lived through unique experiences. He pretended to be a drug dealer, hung out with militia men, and was nearly shot, all on his ninth birthday.

“Birthday Lessons”

Growing up in the city of Santos, Sao Paulo Brazil was not easy. Every day forced decisions that determined the course of your life, from buying fish to feed your family, helping the local militia, going to school, or even playing soccer on the dirt fields. All actions had immediate consequences, and I learned this the hard way.

On October 6th 2008, I turned nine. It occurred to me that it should’ve been the best day of my life. However, the day became a total bust, starting when I skipped school.  Before all that, I woke up and carried out my daily chores: feeding the dogs and sweeping near the front door (which didn’t make sense…