Episode Transcript
[00:00:10] Speaker A: Welcome to Life Rewritten, where we explore stories of second chances and transformations.
Today and next week, I am honored to sit down with Arthur Medina, who is somebody who absolutely exemplifies the power of a second chance.
Arthur is somebody who today lives his life as a man of God and faith, somebody who lives his life with integrity and somebody who has overcome just incredible stories that he's going to share with us. So welcome. Arthur. Thank you so much for being here with us on Life Rewritten.
[00:00:47] Speaker B: Good morning or afternoon.
[00:00:51] Speaker A: So, Arthur, if you were to meet somebody today, how would you describe yourself?
[00:00:58] Speaker B: If I were to describe myself today, I would say that most people think I'm corny.
I mean, besides being a hard working husband and churchgoing person, just living life each day and trying to serve the Lord and honor him in everything that I do.
[00:01:28] Speaker A: So have you always been this way, Arthur?
[00:01:32] Speaker B: No, not at all. I wish I could say I had been like that, but unfortunately, I had a tough teenage years where I made some seriously bad, bad choices in life that ultimately cost me my freedom.
[00:01:58] Speaker A: Right.
So for anybody who might not know a little bit about you in your past, your past, as you said, you made some mistakes, you had some choices that were not exactly sound decisions before you ended up incarcerated, which ultimately cost you your freedom, as you say. Can you just describe a little bit about your, you know, your upbringing, your early childhood, and maybe what led to the bad decisions that you made?
[00:02:32] Speaker B: Absolutely. I was raised in the east side of Houston, Texas.
And I know we were at nine, I now know today we were poor.
There were nine of us in the household, and I was the youngest of everyone, and everything was fine up until about the fourth grade.
I had a young lady approach me and say that I know who she was.
And I said, no. And she said, well, I'm your mother.
And I'm like, well, no, my mom's at home. I think you have the wrong kid.
And then that's when it kind of turned my world a little upside down.
Turns out that was my mother. And the family I was living with were my grandparents and aunts and uncles.
But I had been with them since a baby, so they were raising me as their own.
And it was at that point that it kind of, I would say, just shifted my whole personality from being an outgoing, extrovert type person to becoming introverted, very distrustful.
I just struggled with that new reality for me, and it kind of put a emptiness in my heart that made me just say, you know, why am I not lovable that my parents don't even want me, stuff like that, you know, and it had nothing to do with my grandparents and how they were raising me. They did the best they could. They raised me to be a gentleman.
I just struggled with that whole thing because to me, it wasn't just my mother, it was my father also that, you know, I felt rejected me.
[00:04:44] Speaker A: Well, I mean, that's. It looks like you get to this point where you're questioning your whole identity at this point, you know, and you feel like you've been lied to. And the story that you're telling yourself at that time is that you're unlovable, that you can't trust anybody.
[00:05:02] Speaker B: Yes, you're exactly right. I did feel that.
[00:05:04] Speaker A: And I would wonder if.
Yeah, and I would wonder if now looking back, you in retrospect can say, well, I was loved and I was cared for, and maybe the truth wasn't told to me, but was the truth not told to me out of protection? Was. You know, you start to see things differently as an adult. But at. I would, what, 10 or 11 years old?
[00:05:29] Speaker B: Yes, I was about 10.
Yeah, no, you're. You're correct. Because you, you. I look back and I realize I was loved. I lacked for nothing. I had food, shelter.
I got to experience a lot of things because I was the youngest of the nine.
So I always tagged along where I could, and I was learning a lot faster than other kids just because I had older siblings.
So without a doubt, I look back and I realize the immaturity that I had at that time, it just. I couldn't, I couldn't wrap my mind around it as a kid.
[00:06:14] Speaker A: Well, I mean, that's scary.
I can't imagine you're 10, 11 years old and a stranger comes up to you and declares herself your mother. And as you said, no, my mother's at home. And life was good and life was normal.
And so now what. What happens? You go from being an extrovert, you go from being maybe a boisterous young boy to.
Is this the beginning of some self destruction?
[00:06:43] Speaker B: Yes.
Basically I got to a point where my escape was sports.
So as long as I was playing sports, I didn't have to be at home because being at home meant being around people I felt had lied to me.
And we always tell our kids, tell me the truth, tell me the truth.
And as a kid, I was thinking to myself, well, what happened to that? Why weren't you honest with me?
But as you said, it is true.
You kind of.
You don't see it at the time, but they were Trying to protect me as best as they could.
But as a little boy, it's hard to understand that.
[00:07:33] Speaker A: No, absolutely. And so you had a good coping mechanism, which was sports and that engagement with a team. And so you said as long as you were playing sports, everything was okay. So that's going to lead me to believe that all of a sudden you weren't playing sports anymore because now you're getting yourself into some trouble.
[00:07:56] Speaker B: Yes. So as I start getting older and I go into high school, I have now these issues.
I have trust issues, I have abandonment issues, rejection issues.
And in my sophomore year, I was.
I was really, really good at baseball and basketball. Excuse me.
And in baseball, tryouts for varsity, I mean, I had the whole package. I was pretty good.
And the coach said he wanted me to throw a certain way and I struggled to be able to do that.
Not understanding it was trying to protect my arm and. But I didn't see that. What I saw was another rejection and I couldn't handle that. So at that point, I'm 15 years old in my mind, I think I know everything. You can't tell me anything.
So I just gave up going to school.
And I even made the dumb decision of just saying to my people that I was living with, I don't need you. I told my family that I don't need you.
I don't. I know everything. I know what I need to do. I'm going to just live on my own. So I literally ran away from home and never looked back.
[00:09:33] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:09:35] Speaker B: And as you know, in the streets.
I'm sorry, go ahead.
[00:09:39] Speaker A: No, continue. Go ahead.
[00:09:41] Speaker B: No, what I was going to say is that, you know, in the streets, 15 years old, it's amazing how you encounter other people who have no hope in their life, have no sense of direction or even moral values for that matter.
And they see a 15 year old that's vulnerable.
And quickly I was able to get connected with people who were selling cocaine at the time. This is in the early 80s.
And here I am, 15 years old and I'm thinking, I'm Scarface, you know, because everyone's seen that movie and it's attractive and.
And that's what I started doing. Because I couldn't get a job. I quickly. I didn't have nowhere to live, I couldn't get a job.
And you realize it takes money to be able to buy things.
And it's crazy how just all of a sudden this guy just appears out of nowhere and he says, hey, I know how you can make a lot of money. And so that's what attracted me towards that lifestyle, even though I'd never been involved in any of that stuff.
[00:10:56] Speaker A: Well, I think when you're at a point in your life where you're lost and you feel like you're being found and taken in and taken care of, you know, at that young age, you're vulnerable, and you. You turned to what you thought at the time was somebody who cared for you.
So we're going to go to a commercial break. When we come back, we are going to continue the conversation with Arthur and hear a little bit more about what came next in his life. So stay tuned. We'll be right back.
We'll be right back with more stories of resilience and renewal. This is Life Rewritten on NOW Media Television.
And we're back. I'm Vanessa Lagoa, and you're watching Life Rewritten on NOW Media Television.
Welcome back to Life Rewritten. If you want more of what you're watching, stay connected to Life Rewritten and all of your NOW Media TV favorite shows, live or on demand at any time. Download the free Now Media TV app on Roku or iOS and unlock nonstop bilingual programming in both English and Spanish. You can also listen to the podcast version right here on our website at NowMedia TV. From business and news to lifestyle, culture and beyond, Now Media TV is streaming around the clock. Ready whenever you are.
We are joined by Arthur Medina, who is sharing with us his story of true second chances and transformation. So welcome back, Arthur. Thank you for being here.
[00:12:28] Speaker B: Thank you.
[00:12:30] Speaker A: So let's pick right up where we left off. And you are now a sophomore in high school, so maybe about 15 years old, and you've left home.
Everything in your world has sort of, you know, everything that you knew to be true in your world has sort of imploded. And you have trust issues. You have now decided that you don't need anyone. You know everything, and you're going to go off and be on your own. But you get to the streets and you realize quickly that it takes money to live.
You need some sense of community or family or relationships. And so who do you find out there?
[00:13:10] Speaker B: I find other people that were just as lost as I was.
And, you know, when you just have no hope and no sense of direction, it does appeal to you because now you're not necessarily alone.
And as God's creation, we're not meant to be alone.
And so either way, I started hanging out with these guys that were taking stolen vehicles to Mexico selling cocaine, and I saw an easy way to Start making money.
And it just seemed easy and just driving all on the highways all the way to Mexico, no one questions you, and you deliver the stolen cars and just leave them there.
And amazingly, they were for the federal agents there in Mexico.
So, yeah, it was kind of crazy how that happened.
But again, I just.
It just appealed to me because people were looking at me as, hey, hey, this guy can help me get what I want. And you know, it just. It just seemed too easy without ever thinking of consequence.
[00:14:33] Speaker A: Right. Well. And you have a young developing mind.
And we know.
I think the average teenager doesn't, or the average person doesn't even finish growing their mind until about 21 years old. So you're young, you're impressionable, and like you said, you're not thinking about consequences. You're not thinking about, I would imagine that being in your shoes, you're thinking it's a pretty, you know, it's not that big of a deal to steal a car.
Right. You're thinking maybe like that's just a material thing. And. And I also would imagine that you're young, you're impressionable. These guys who are helping you, right, to get started and giving you this opportunity to make money are probably giving you a sense of belonging and like your importance in work, in the world, because you're helping them. Right?
[00:15:32] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:15:32] Speaker A: And they're not telling you, hey, this is a bad choice, but, you know, you probably shouldn't do it. They're leading you really, to some disaster.
[00:15:42] Speaker B: Yes. One of them was actually just out of prison already.
And actually a couple of them were just out of prison.
And, you know, they would tell me the different stories and stuff like that, but to me, it's like I just saw that I could actually do this and have money in my pocket and not understanding about budgeting or anything like that. As fast as I made the money, as fast as it was going out and not saving any money, nothing. And it just seemed like you just caught in this whirlwind now to where you're not really even thinking at all. You're just trying to do something to survive. And.
And I did know it was wrong. I didn't think much harm of it or anything up until in Mexico, we were actually arrested in Mexico and they held us.
And it opened my eyes a little bit to the realities of incarceration consequence.
And I just said to myself, maybe I need to stop this.
But I couldn't because there was nowhere to go.
I still couldn't figure out that maybe I could go to a Church or maybe I could go to a shelter.
You know, I didn't see that as an option.
And so I go right back to it.
And eventually that is how we ended up making the worst mistake ever.
And that was when, during the process of carjacking, a man died.
[00:17:39] Speaker A: So what was intended to be a carjacking, just taking somebody's car, turning it in, making some money, did not end that way.
[00:17:50] Speaker B: No, unfortunately not. And, you know, I always look back at that time trying to figure out, you know, why was I so angry? Why was I feeling that I had to do this and always come up with.
At the end of the day, I just.
I just was so mad at the world because I just felt like one. I had this stupid idea that the world owed me.
And then I also had this idea in my head that, you know, it's everyone's fault that I'm in the situation I'm in.
And especially it was my mother and my father's fault. Everyone. It's because of them that I am so miserable.
And I just lashed out at that point. I lashed out at an innocent man, and I've regretted that ever since.
[00:18:55] Speaker A: So I've read a little bit about your story and about that night. And so ultimately, you carjack with a few other individuals and the owner of the car, you put in the trunk of the car, and he fights back, and ultimately you take his life.
[00:19:17] Speaker B: Yes, and it was my responsibility. I'm the one that was responsible for that.
The other two guys were just there at that time.
[00:19:30] Speaker A: And it sounds like, again, it wasn't your intention, but your frustration, your anger, your. Your hate for everyone in the world was taken out on this innocent man. And, you know, that sounds like wrong place, wrong time.
And it's one of those things that it sounds like in your life that I would imagine if you had to go back and change one thing in your life, it would be that night. Am I correct?
[00:20:06] Speaker B: Actually, no. It would be going further back to when I stopped going to school.
And I should have handled that, what I perceived as rejection a lot better and continued on in my education and worked towards the things that I wanted.
If it was being a professional athlete or my whole family in my adopted side is military.
So without a doubt, that was probably what I was going to do is get into the military.
[00:20:48] Speaker A: I think that for our viewers, and especially for young people that may be listening, that might not be walking the right path right now for someone to hear you say that.
Had you made the decision to stay in school, to stay focused would have changed the course of your life, I think, is absolutely profound. And I hope that that message is received by somebody who really needs to hear it.
But ultimately, that is not what happened. And the decision that you made that night changed the course of your life.
[00:21:28] Speaker B: Yes. Without.
[00:21:29] Speaker A: Without that happening, though, you wouldn't be the man that you are today. And, and further, we'll get into, you know, how things changed. But what would you say to somebody who would say that, you know, they don't believe that you ever should have had a chance at a second, second chance at things after taking somebody's life?
[00:21:56] Speaker B: I would say they're. They're absolutely right.
It's probably shocking to probably hear coming from me especially that I am actually a proponent of the death penalty.
I just think that we have to face the consequences of our actions.
But that comes with maturity. That comes with understanding what a person is responsible for.
And, I mean, I wish I could undo it. I really do. And I just, I can't.
So I'm at a point, you know, where I have to. I hit a crossroads later on in life, but it actually was not. That's not where it was the worst. It gets worse from there.
[00:22:48] Speaker A: Right.
And we're going to get a little bit more into that when we come back from our next commercial break. But again, I just hope that our listeners and our viewers who are watching who may be struggling with anything in their lives can look at your story, Arthur, and understand that what, when rock bottom feels like the end, it doesn't have to be that redemption is possible, that, you know, guilt and shame serve really no purpose in our lives.
But taking our rock bottom and taking our worst experiences and being able to change your life and change the course of it and help others really can be the purpose of it.
So stay tuned. We will be right back with Arthur, and we'll continue on this conversation. We'll be right back.
We'll be right back with more stories of resilience and renewal. This is Life Rewritten on NOW Media Television.
And we're back. I'm Vanessa Lagoa, and you're watching Life Rewritten on NOW Media Television.
Welcome back to Life Rewritten. I'm your host, Vanessa Lagoa. We are continuing an incredible, deep, powerful conversation with Arthur Medina, who is, in my opinion, the epitome of what a second chance should look like in life.
So, Arthur, welcome back. Thank you again for being here. And let's just keep going because I feel like we've talked a little bit about what got you incarcerated and I want you to tell our viewers a little bit more about what it looked like when you got there because you were young, right? You were 17 or 18 when you.
[00:24:33] Speaker B: Yes, I was. Because of the crime that was committed here in Texas. At that time, in the 80s, it didn't matter if you were a juvenile, you were still eligible for the death penalty. And the state of Texas charged me with capital murder.
And so at 17, I'm automatically certified as an adult.
And it was.
I look back today and I still don't know how survived or made it the way I did when in reality, I walked into those cells afraid. You know, I genuinely was afraid, but I was good at hiding that fear. And day one, I had to fight until they were tired.
It was just acceptable in the prison system at the time that that was just the way it was.
You went into prison, you had to demonstrate that you weren't a coward and you weren't afraid to defend yourself or you became victimized.
And fortunately for me, I had six brothers that I grew up with, and I had to know how to fight because of them.
And so I wasn't worried about that.
It was because I was already now sentenced to an aggravated life sentence.
I would not be eligible for parole until 20 consecutive years had been served.
So in my mind, I was never getting out. I'm 17, I got to do more time than I did out free.
It to me was like that. I can't see past tomorrow anyway.
[00:26:45] Speaker A: Right.
You know, I recently sat down with a woman who had what's called a locked in syndrome, type of stroke. And she was 32 years old and she was laying in a hospital bed and she could hear everything that was going on around her, but she couldn't move her body, she couldn't react, she couldn't speak. And she tells a story about her mother sitting by her bedside playing her the secret.
And if you're not familiar with that, that's about the power of your thoughts and about, you know, thinking, thinking things into existence.
And I can't help but think that it would have been Amazing if, at 17 years old, when you were in the situation that you were in, if somebody had been able to get through to you and speak to you about, you know, your circumstances may seem dismal and they may seem like this is it, and, yeah, you're going to be 37 when you're up for parole, it would have been incredible if you could have understood then what you now know to be true, which is that wasn't the end.
You know, you didn't. You still had your thoughts in your mind. And.
But I say that and you know, I don't understand what it's like to be in prison. I don't understand having that fear. So.
So you're there and you're fighting because you have to prove yourself or you feel like you have to prove yourself.
[00:28:20] Speaker B: Yeah, at that time, at that time, I'm sorry, cut you off.
But at that time, it wasn't about did I think it was a reality.
I mean, I would see guys go up, they would go up to the searcher's desk and ask for help, and the guard would tell them, well, you better learn how to fight.
I mean, I would see them even gamble on fights that were happening and things of that nature. And so, I mean, fast forward decades later, it's no longer like that on most prisons because of some of the, some of the enactments that have happened with Congress and the legislature protecting inmates from abuse like that.
But back then it wasn't like that. So it was either, you pardon?
[00:29:23] Speaker A: It was survival.
[00:29:24] Speaker B: Yeah, it was reality.
[00:29:26] Speaker A: And that was your survival.
[00:29:27] Speaker B: Yes. And so I was not going to allow myself to be victimized.
And so before you know it, it's like I'm serving an aggravated life sentence.
And even though within myself I want to do right, the environment does not allow you to.
And so if I'm going to spend the rest of my life there, there were things that you had to do to show and prove people don't mess with you.
And so unfortunately, this gentleman that everyone was scared of, even the guards were afraid of this guy.
That's how big, that's how his reputation was to being a violent person.
And he threatened me.
And so.
I think that's an important moment in my life because it reflects just how off thinking I was, I wasn't thinking coherently. I was too immature, too irresponsible, and had absolutely no vision whatsoever.
So when the homeboys tell you, look, you've got a life sentence, why are you going to fight this guy?
Go ahead and kill him.
And there it is, you don't have to worry about it no more.
And it made sense because what were they going to do to me? Lock me up?
Already had a life sentence. And so that's what made me think, okay, that makes sense.
And so I approached the guy and I told him that I demanded him to apologize to me and all this stuff because the way he saw me as a new guy in prison, he. He'd been there for a long time. He's established.
And at that time, I weighed about 140 pounds soaking wet compared to him, 250 pounds.
And he didn't give me the response I wanted. So that's when I ended up stabbing him.
And that's when I learned that they're in prison. There's this crazy psychology that the more violent you are, the more respect you get.
That's the criminal mentality.
And so immediately people are like, hey, that's art right there. I used to have a nickname, Grasshopper, because of how I squatted on the floor and somebody came up to me and threatened me and I jumped up and everyone said I look like a grasshopper defending myself. And that nickname stayed with me.
So at that point, that's when it really gets crazy. Because the administration had formed back then a place called administrative segregation.
And what that is is basically solitary confinement.
So at that point they assigned me to add, say, solitary confinement, which is basically a six by nine cell.
And you're in there by yourself 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
[00:33:11] Speaker A: Now thinking about your.
You're already feeling like you've gotten to this point in your life where you've felt rejected and unloved and unworthy and you've left and you've gone out on your own and now your actions have put you in solitary confinement.
And I can't help but wonder if that just further reiterates the belief that you're telling yourself that you're being rejected and you know that you deserve to be alone.
[00:33:48] Speaker B: I agree with that. But I also think that it was perfect for me because of my state of mind and how I was truly thinking and feeling. And that was, I have no hope.
I have no future.
This is my life.
There is no getting out. There is no anything. It's just, you know what? From here on out, I'm going to kill anything or everything that gets in my path and make them hurt just the way I'm hurting.
[00:34:30] Speaker A: Right?
[00:34:30] Speaker B: I gave up.
[00:34:31] Speaker A: And I think that's an important piece that you now recognize that you know your pain and suffering.
Ultimately, you didn't want to do that alone. You were going to share that pain and that suffering. And, you know, I just want to quickly ask, do you think that being a juvenile, being a minor, do you think now that despite your actions being charged with capital murder, do you believe that the fact that you were so young was a big part of the problem? And further, do you think that juveniles should be sentenced to facilities where adults are? Or do you think that you should have been separate. And do you think if you had been separate in a juvenile situation, that may not have been the case?
[00:35:26] Speaker B: I think so. I think that there should have been mandatory, which I believe that happens now. But back then it didn't exist.
But I think programming is extremely important, giving people a chance to earn their education. But it has to be mandatory for them to go to school and part of their programming to help them develop their minds because they're going to be getting an education on the block and it's not nothing but the streets or how to, how to connive, manipulate or get over on people.
And so that has to be counteracted somehow with programming that enables people to legitimately want to. If you want to legitimately just do your time and be the best you can be, then you should be able to have that opportunity.
And just because a person can't fight or is afraid should not mean that they should be victimized.
[00:36:35] Speaker A: I would agree with that. So we're going to take another commercial break. We're going to come back and continue and we're going to turn it around a little bit. We're going to start to see how Arthur was introduced to a new life. So. So stay tuned. And we'll be right back.
We'll be right back with more stories of resilience and renewal. This is Life Rewritten on NOW Media Television.
And we're back. I'm Vanessa Lagoa, and you're watching Life Rewritten on NOW Media Television.
Welcome back to Life Rewritten. Don't miss a second of this show or any of your NOW Media TV favorites, streaming live and on demand whenever and wherever you want. Grab the free Now Media TV app on Roku or iOS and enjoy instant access to our bilingual lineup in both English and Spanish. If you prefer podcasts, listen to Life Rewritten anytime on the Now Media TV website at www.nowmedia.tv. from wellness and transformation to business and innovation, Now Media is here 247 bringing you the stories that you love.
In this last segment today with Arthur Medina, we're going to start to shift into what happened in Arthur's life that led him to such a massive transformation and change.
So, Arthur, welcome back. Thank you for being here again. And I'm already looking forward to next week where we sit down and talk about the impact that you have today in the world. But go back. So you're in prison and you're in solitary confinement and you're feeling full of despair. You're feeling like you're angry and Life is essentially over for you.
[00:38:21] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:38:21] Speaker A: But then one day, a prosecutor comes to visit with you, and he asks you one question.
Tell us a little bit about that.
[00:38:30] Speaker B: Well, he was there to investigate a crime that they thought I was actually a part of, which was another murder case that happened in prison.
By that time, I had abandoned all hope. I'd given up.
And to be very candid with you, I was too afraid to kill myself.
I did not want to live. I didn't want to continue down this path of living the rest of my life in prison.
And so I figured in my mind, in my lashing out to everyone and getting into all this trouble, one, somebody would eventually kill me.
But it just didn't turn out that way. It just seemed weird how that did not ever happen, even though there were attempts on my life.
When the prosecutor came to visit me and asked me some questions about this particular crime, and just out of the clear blue sky, he just asked me the craziest question that I'd ever been asked, and that was, do you believe in God?
And that was the craziest question he could have asked me. Because to me, I don't have a religious upbringing.
I didn't have any thought whatsoever about a God, didn't care about that.
And yet I could tell by the sincerity of how he was asking me this question that he was sincere and wanted to know, did I believe in God?
I have no idea why I even answered yes. I know now why I answered yes. But I said yes.
And then it's the next question that truly changed the trajectory of my life.
And that was, he said, if you believe in God, why don't you get to know him?
And that just made too much sense to me. Vanessa. I just.
I.
I had just got through telling him I believe in God, but I had no idea who he was.
And also because of my abandonment issues, because of my rejection issues and my trust issues, I also realized that all these other people say they believe in God, but it's Islam, Jehovah Witness, and all these other groups, if you will.
And before he left, she shared a scripture with me that said that God had a plan and a purpose for my life.
And it really didn't mean anything to me then, because, remember, I have no vision. I have no purpose. I have no hope.
But that stayed with me. And I go back to my cell, and that's when, in the course of time, I wanted to know, who is God? Because I made the decision it was time for me to step away from this craziness.
I had to look in the mirror and accept full responsibility. I couldn't blame my parents for my being raised in another home. I couldn't blame them because I also knew that at that time, they were doing the best they could.
And I was on a search of the truth. Who is telling the truth? Somebody has to be off somewhere.
Someone's wrong.
And that is when.
When I started studying the Bible.
From Genesis to maps, that Bible spoke to me.
And it spoke to me in such a way that it just became something that I didn't do anything else but read the word of God and study and just allow his words to sink into my heart.
And then I started seeing things differently. I started realizing, you know, how did I put myself in this situation?
And, you know, part of being repentant is accepting responsibility for your actions.
And so that's the one thing I ended up doing, is I dropped my pills and I stopped trying to get kid free. I stopped, you know, different things. And I just. I just asked the Lord that, you know, Lord, if he means for me to die here in prison, then help me be the best that I can be.
And that's what I did.
And so did that change my sentence? No. Did that change the environment I was in? No. I still stayed in that 6x9 cell. And were there attempts on my life? Yes.
I got bombed.
They tried to set me up to get killed because I had renounced the gang.
But I was okay because by that time, I had started developing a relationship with God.
And, you know, I just. I started seeing things differently. And. And then the other part of it is I wasn't 17 no more. I wasn't 15. I was now a little older. And, you know, as you mature, you start seeing things differently.
[00:44:30] Speaker A: Right.
[00:44:32] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:44:32] Speaker A: I mean, I think that also you're doing the reading and you're starting to believe it, but there's a difference in believing and feeling, right? So you start to believe it, and then you really start to feel the difference.
You're not just believing it and hoping for it. You feel that. And it's like that inner calm among all this chaos that you're living in. And you're saying, you know, all these things were happening, you're bombed, and people are trying to retaliate against you. And something in you just had that such a strong beginning, foundation of faith, that despite that chaos, you found that calm.
[00:45:16] Speaker B: Yes. And I attribute that to, again, accepting responsibility, being repentant, truly repentant of what I'd done in the past.
And then part of being Sorrowful is that you have a zeal to change that.
And that's what I did. I said, you know what? I'm going to go to school.
I'm going to take every class that I could take, and I'm just going to be the best that I can be. And then I'm going to help these guys that are here to not make the dumb decisions that I made and help them to see that. Look, going down this path with gangs, and it's all an illusion. It's not real.
There's just all pride and. And people have wishful thinking, and it's all fallacious reasoning.
It has nothing to do with reality.
And I took time to try to help these youngsters coming in and just really change the environment, if you will.
I think one of the gifts that God has given me is a gift of leadership, because all throughout that process, I was either leading the charge to destruction or, like today, leading the charge to peace.
Because that's the difference. You know, when there's a true transformation, you don't. You're not a taker no more. You're a giver.
[00:46:52] Speaker A: Right.
You know, I feel like I tell my children all the time that the best way to apologize is to change your behavior.
And, you know, unfortunately, we're already out of time. And I'm really looking forward to next week to hearing about how, you know, your change behavior really led you to, like you said, being a leader, a positive leader.
And I really look forward to sharing with our viewers, you know, the next. We'll call it the Next Chapter, because I usually ask somebody at the end of the show, what is the next chapter called for you? But I'm not going to ask you that until next week.
[00:47:36] Speaker B: Sounds good.
[00:47:37] Speaker A: But on that note, I really thank you for being here and sharing the beginning of your journey with us.
And I'm going to say that the next chapter that we're going to focus on next week is really going to be a true story of transformation and second chances. So thank you, Arthur, for being here.
Please stay tuned next week as we continue this conversation on Life Rewritten. I'm your host, Vanessa Lagoa, and we'll see you next time. Thank you.
