GEORGE BELAND:  

My story is I’m sad to say is that my biggest regret is I dropped out of school in the middle of my sophomore year. It was due to family issues beyond my control. My parents were getting a divorce. And with 5 children we had no clue what was going to happen with us. We were being separated and parted out having to live temporarily with different relatives throughout RI, and MASS. until we were able to be back under one roof all together again. But it didn’t happen. . When my parents got their own apartments we went back and forth from parent to parent. So it was hard trying to get to and from to school. I'm not proud of what I had to do. It has haunted me my whole life. To be honest the day my class of 80 graduated, and I’m not afraid to admit I cried. I should have been there. That was a major part of my life that I missed terribly. I wished I could go back. It was on that day I made a promise to my mother that at least one of her 3 boys would get their diploma. So I went to night school and got my diploma. My mother was so proud of me. I also realized not only how important families meant to a person's development but also the importance of good friends are. High school is the beginning of adulthood and good friends aid in that development. I did and still do miss all the friends I made and do think about them from time to time and wonder how they are doing. I just recently found out that a couple of friends of mine passed away. You just don't know and realize how short and precious life really is until something like that happens. I till this day wonder what my life would have been and turned out if I was able to graduate, but I guess it toughened me up and made me a better person not only to myself but to others. I just wasn’t ready to become a gro...Expand for more