The Long Shot Comes Out Ahead

As ludicrous as it may sound, I feel that my life has been one continuous series of events in which the long shot comes out ahead. As a child growing up in East LA in the 1960’s, the expectations for me were so low that had I been a practical, level-headed girl, I might easily have grown to fulfill them. Instead, I dared to dream big dreams. I dreamed that I would someday morph into a comic book style superhero who would defend my mother from my abusive father. I dreamed that I would be a rock star and change the world with my music and ideas. I dreamed that I would be a brain surgeon who would save lives with my brilliant mind.

I can almost hear the snickering from where I sit and it makes me smile, because who in their right mind wouldn’t laugh at those goals? But, as it turns out, I did grow into a strong woman who was able to stand up to my father on my mother’s behalf. I did help create an important rock movement that would make a lasting social and artistic impression on many people around the world. And, although I wouldn’t trust myself with a scalpel, I do think that my music, my writing and my ideas can cut and on more than a few occasions they’ve healed and possibly saved the lives of others who have struggled with similar difficulties.

I am currently on a book tour for my memoir, Violence Girl, which can be purchased through Amazon or your local indie bookstore. I hope to see you at one of my readings in 2012.