As a young boy， I grew up with my eight siblingsl in a tin-roofedshack in Summerfield， Louisiana. I didn't see my circumstance as an obstacle， even though we didin't even have a real toilet in the house. Isaw my life more as a card that had been dealt to me and I tried to make the most of it.
I was the youngest of five boys and also had four sisters who hadto pull together and take care of each other. Dad wasn't around， so Inever knew him well. He committed suicide when I was three yearsold， leaving Mom with the job of raising and providing for nine kids.She worked at a sawmill running a foklift for fifty doliars a week andhad another job at a poultry2 plant. She was a very hard worker， and inorder to make ends meet， she hardly ever rested.
My mom believed in doing all she could do to take care of her re-sponsibilities， so no matter what ， she never asked for a handout. Youcan imagine： we kids didn't get what we wanted， but we always gotthe things we needed. With my mom as my example， I learned thathard work is the best way to get what you want.
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