Generation Next Shit.

Some people are dealt a bad hand cards my mom was one of these people; she was born with a blood disease called sick cell anemia. She was born in the Bronx in Albert Einstein hospital 12/27/1972, lived a good life until she was 6 months old. My grandma used to take her to the backyard to play with her older brother; she used to sit and watch Mo’ on a blanket while Richard entertained himself on the swing set. Nights later she found that the top of her foot was swollen, thinking it was a measly bug bite,  within 24 hours my grandma checked on her again and saw that her other foot had swollen up had swollen, that’s when she knew that I couldn't just be  taken lightly. That evening after work she took a taxi to the emergency room. She was diagnosed, short by one by chromosome, close but no cigar. My grandma accepted the challenge and stayed committed to her child. The attacks went away for about a year and a half but when she was 2 she had an attack during the winter of 74’, she had caught ammonia and a sickle cell crisis. She was hospitalized for weeks; they thought that was the end of Monique McKnight; even though the floor fell from under feet she continued to push through slowly but surely.

The Day That Counts

My mom had a tough time trying to blossom as a human being living with extremely conservative Seventh Day Adventist. She felt like she was trapped between a rock and a hard spot because, she didn't want to bite the hand that has been feeding her while she was sick on and off throughout college.by the time she was 19, she felt obligated to do something with her life that was off the conservative path because she was a social person that never had the chance to converse like she would have wanted. Therefore, she signed up for the cosmetology course at long beach community college, in the 90’s in la the hair industry was huge everyone was getting finger waves, dookie braids, perms, and individuals; being a hair dresser is quick money, every head she would do would be about $150 or more. as in everything else she became extremely successful once  became dedication; on the way she fell in love with cosmetology. AS time passed she continued to perfect her craft and progress through the class ranks, people loved her also because she actually cared about people and all her peers noticed.

                The only person that was against her transitioning into the field of her choice was my super conservative grandmother. She wanted Mo’ to stay under her wing and just be sick and be taken care of for the rest of her life. She felt that she was too gullible, without out her around and someone would pull a fast one on her and take advantage. Eventually after the same lecture over and over again Mo’ snapped and said what she had on her mind; words were fired back and forth between the two this carried on for about 3 months. Mo’ decided that if she wasn’t going to support what she loves to do the most she just won’t be around.

She moved in with her best friend at the time named Barbie a fellow cosmetologist, together they would reap havoc in the streets of long beach. She was enjoying her freedom and making the most of it,. At the age of 20 she got involved with blood transfusion program that gives her functional blood that gave her more of a get-up-an-go mentality. She went to more parties started to have boyfriends and what not while her and Barbie would make money doing hair out of her house; as long as Mo’ helped her out with the bills she was in the clear. This carried on for about 4 months then she and Barbie got into a heated argument and she figured that it was time to make amends with her mother.