My Journey, My Experience

My Journey, My Experiences is the story of Gerald B. Griffin’s life. The autobiographical story begins in Harlem Hospital, NY, where the narrator, Gerald, was born with cerebral palsy on his left side. Gerald discusses some of the obstacles he faced as a child—being abandoned by his father, losing a supportive stepfather, being educated in a “special school system,” and having an overwhelming feeling that he was not normal. These issues in Gerald’s youth led him in a life of crime and alcohol and drug use and abuse.

Like the phoenix, he was led to a successful career in human services, specializing in addiction and abuse. Gerald discusses some of the influences in his life, such as his mother, and key moments, such as his relapse after the death of his grandmother and starting over.