I grew up in poverty....120-year old tenement house with roaches and rats, a criminal neighbor (who molested me and my sister), snow came in thru one crack in the wall...no phone, car, refrigerator, tub or shower....violent mother physically and verbally and I never knew my father (divorce)... I joined the army right out of high school and have been going ever since (divorced after 31 years of abuse); wrote my life story and won a scholarship at 60 and am a Sophomore at 70! Wrote a poetry book and my memoir. xoxo