The importance of my future…
Where will I be in ten years? I’m not sure. I want to work in a garage as a staff member, and I’m trying to get to where someone would think about taking me on. Also, I have a council flat which is great as it is round the corner from my brother, but I would like to have my own place. I don’t want to be on benefits. I am on Universal Credit because of the furlough, but I want to pay my own rent and manage financially without relying on benefits. All I have ever wanted was my independence to have my own rules and pay my bills, which is why I now want a job in a garage. Possibly one day, I might even have a car of my own.
I also understand that being taken into care made me angry, mainly because I didn’t understand why I was angry and why things had happened. However, as I get older, I have started to understand more, and I find that my past does not matter other than it helps me get the gist of my future.
Being placed in an EBD school helped me hugely as it meant the focus was on me, and subsequently, it allowed me to learn more; However, it meant I learned about bullying. I am very tall, and I look half Chinese, and these two things were the cause of the bullying, but I soon became accustomed to it.
I learned to deal with bullying, not through anger but through realising that I had to get on with things even though I might not like it. I knew if I reacted to the bullying in the way it was expected of me, I wouldn’t have achieved what I wanted to do. My experiences in life help me put things into perspective, and if a situation gets more severe and I can’t cope with it, I get help with it.
I think the way it is today, it is more difficult for everyone to understand how we feel because people are afraid of offending each other. I wish it weren’t like that because I think it is petty. People need to understand that sometimes we might not gel with someone, and sometimes placements with foster carers don’t work out.
When that happens, it’s okay, and if it doesn’t work out, you should leave. For me, placements come and go. Sometimes you have foster carers that you know are just in it for the money, but no matter what, all placements should work, but they don’t, and you just have to deal with it.
Note: Byron has currently and successfully completed his Level 3 Car mechanics course and is now looking for employment. Please get in touch if you could offer Byron the opportunity of an interview.
To read more of Byron’s stories, click HERE
Click here to enquire about fostering with Caritas Care
