Liz was born in a slum in America. Her parents are drug addicts and her mother suffers from schizophrenia. When she was addicted to drugs, she even robbed her children of welfare money to buy drugs. My father is a genius. He likes reading very much and knows a lot, but he stays at home lazily all day taking drugs and watching TV. He is basically a cripple. Liz and her sister have lived in this broken family since childhood. When they are hungry, they go to the street to pick up the things in the trash can. Until one morning, my mother was forcibly taken away by the police and sent to a drug rehabilitation center. After her mother left, life seemed to be calm again. Liz also went to school at the request of the welfare home. The children in the class don't like him because she smells. Because she skipped class for too long, the teacher wouldn't let her take the final exam, but Liz said the topic was simple. Finally, she got full marks. She explained that she had read the encyclopedia that the neighbor picked up from the trash can. The substitute teacher was surprised and asked her to go to school every day, otherwise she would call the welfare society. Two months later, her mother came back with bad news. She has AIDS, and her mother wants to take Liz back to her grandfather. But Liz insisted on staying in this broken home, because her mother once said that grandpa had violated her mother's sister, and she should not come to the hospital again, because the teacher called and said that Liz would not go to school, and finally Liz was taken away, and he needed a responsible person. Tears dripped when she left, but her father didn't say a word. Liz came to an orphanage, and if she didn't obey, she would be repaired by the staff. She witnessed a girl who was beaten mixing bleach in her shampoo and listened to the screams of ghosts and wolves in the bathroom. Liz seems to have fallen into hell, so she went from the drug den to the magic den.
Before long, she slipped out and found her mother and sister. At this time, her mother is being forced to give up drugs and live with her sister at her grandfather's house. The rare gathering and short silence made her feel precious. She learned from her mother that her father was sent to a shelter because he could not pay the rent, and Liz returned to this crowded little apartment, which was empty. The broken home finally collapsed completely, and now Liz is completely homeless. He didn't know where to go, so he had to follow his mother. Then she was sent to an orphan school. Although Liz has learned to take a bath and no longer smells like trouble, she still doesn't know how to stay at school. He doesn't know how to live like a normal person. In the evening, Liz went home with a girl named Max. She doesn't want her mother to get drunk. She muttered, I am not a good mother. I just want an injection. The days of abstinence frightened her. Her soul is about to be exhausted by drugs. After settling down his mother, Max pointed to the bed and said, Does your grandfather sleep here? Liz said that grandpa violated his mother's sister. When they were young, Max asked, Is it your sister or her? Liz replied, I guess they are all. That's why I don't want to come here. Max lit a cigarette and lit it hard on his palm. It turned out that when she was 7 years old, she was also violated. Just as they were talking, Grandpa came back and Max ran away. Grandpa cursed: Your mother is dying, and your garbage dad ran away, leaving me in this mess. I can't care so much about my age. Grandpa saw that Liz was leaving, so he told him that you were rubbish anyway, just like your parents.
At this time, she has no bargaining capital with life. She can only try to live. Mom is dying, dad is busy, and grandpa is an animal.
Liz started hanging out with Max. She 15 years old that year. What is home? Is it a roof or a bed? Or a place that can accept you, if so, she/kloc-started wandering at the age of 0/5. ?
On cold winter nights, they beg on street corners. Steal things or books occasionally. If there is light in a dark day, it is the last friend to take them in. However, the good times did not last long. Soon the news came that Liz ran to the roof alone and wanted to cry in the heavy rain. Sometimes Liz feels as if the world has a transparent shell. Everyone lives under this shell. You can see the outside of the shell, but you can't get out. Her mother was buried in a free cemetery. Grandpa took one look, took his sister's hand and left in a hurry. Liz thought it might be better if her mother left, at least she wouldn't feel pain, no priest, no ceremony, no prayer or even a tombstone. Liz took out a marker and wrote her mother's name and date of birth and death on the coffin. After Max left, Liz jumped into the pit. Lying on her mother's coffin, she remembered that when she was a child, her mother took her to slide on the slope. At that time, my mother's shoulders were so warm, but it was really a long time ago, and it was in her memory for a long time.
Liz watched the excavator coming slowly. Once the soil is put into the pit, a week later, people will never find this place again, as if it had never existed. Ion turned away and took three steps back. Now mother lives in Liz's heart, but she has nowhere to go. At the age of sixteen, after her mother died, she felt that this life would only get worse and worse, and she wanted to change. So she went to a private middle school and got an interview. Liz told the teacher about her experience and her mother's death. She said that I just need a chance to climb out of the environment where I was born, because everyone I know is full of anger and fatigue. They are just struggling to survive, but I know there is another world, a better world, and I want to live in that world. The teacher asked: Why now? Liz said, I love my mother. I've been waiting for her to get better before taking care of me. But in fact, I've been taking care of her. She is my child, but now that she is gone, I think I should start taking care of myself. After listening to Liz, the teacher admitted her on the spot. Liz said excitedly, thank you, you have changed my life! The teacher said that what we have to do next is to meet Liz's guardian to confirm. So Liz had to find her father and ask for his help. With her father's help, Liz got the chance to go to school. Before leaving, Liz said don't worry about me, I have found a job. My father said, I remember when you swept the floor on Florence Road, you would put food in the refrigerator. How old were you then? Liz said, eight. Father suddenly felt a little sad and said, I'm not normal, Liz. Dare to pursue the life you want! My ruined life has also implicated you. I'm sorry! ! !
Seeing her father's eyes red, Liz said, I love you, Dad. When I was a child, you were the most interesting sky in my world. Others only talk about drugs and sex, but you always have a new topic. I've been looking for another way out because of you. You gave me a beautiful and moving world in my childhood. I love you, Dad!
My father hugged Liz and kept saying, I'm fine. Don't worry, I'll be fine. Then I turned around and said: study hard, my life has been devastated, but your life has just begun, and a bright future is waiting for you. The goddess of success will definitely come to you.
Looking at her father's distant back, Liz choked back tears. During school, Liz's thinking was always different, and the teacher also intended to inspire her. In order to finish her studies as soon as possible, Liz took 10 course at the same time, and stayed up late every night, because she wanted to finish the four-year course in two years, and she had no distractions, because she had only one goal and no retreat. Going to school during the day and studying while working at night, this regular pace of life makes her feel very safe. On this day, she met Max in the subway station and they went to the new school together. The teacher said that the school would send the top ten students to Harvard, and Leeds was the first in the school. On a five-day trip to Harvard, Liz looked at the scenery in the brochure. It was another world.
Liz got her wish and came to Harvard University, looking at the scenery and humanity on campus. She asked herself, what makes these people different? Is that where they were born? I work as hard as I can, so I don't have to live on relief food now, but what if I can work harder? I am so close to that shell now that I can even touch it. Liz's grades are excellent, but the high tuition fees have become the biggest problem. So she began to inquire about The New York Times Scholarship, and was finally told that there was a scholarship of one year 12000 USD, which could be held for four years. The requirement is to write a paper, introducing the most important gains in your life, and how you met the challenges and overcame the difficulties.
On the birthday of 18, Liz sent her own letter. Her average score is 95, the highest in the school, but she is homeless. Later, Liz's thesis was also recognized and the interview was successful. In order to make a good impression on the interviewer, Liz went to her sister and asked her for a coat. She took off her coat and told Liz that when I was a child, my mother sold my coat and I couldn't go to school. I really wanted to go to school at that time. My sister said she was going blind. Like her mother, she was afraid. Liz held her sister in her arms as a farewell. Wearing her sister's coat, she came to new york Times Building for an interview.
The world is turning and you are just a speck of dust. Even if you disappear, the earth is still turning, and the reality will not change as you always do, because others have stronger will and the cruelty of life will make people feel at a loss, so some people are immersed in confusion all day, unwilling to open their eyes to see the situation clearly and unwilling to think about what small factors have accumulated to cause this situation.
Liz told about her experiences and dreams. She is grateful for the way her parents taught her to look at things, so she never asks why, why, why. She knows why, but it's no use. She had to accept this reality and try to get out of that environment. She also firmly believes that her parents love her, but she is unable to give her better love. Finally, Liz moved the judges and won the scholarship of the 6th The New York Times. At the award ceremony, a reporter asked her, how did you do it? Liz said: when all the sense of security is taken away from me, I can only move on. I'm no way back. I will try my best to see what will happen. Now that I'm in college, the new york Times gave me a scholarship, and I'm grateful for everything, good or bad.
Reporter: In this process, what do you want to change most, if possible? Liz replied: I hope I can return everything now, if my family can recover. At the beginning of Harvard University, Liz didn't have to carry everything on her back. She will forget the unimportant things and let the past go with the wind so that she can move on. ?