Ronald J. Smith

I was born in Washington, DC in May of 1961. At a very early age was pulled away from my family and placed in Jr. Village, where I would be rented out a few times before landing in my last Foster Home. Sorry, they call it Foster care! I did not learn to read and write until a teacher in my Elementary School noticed that I had a problem with stuttering, reading, writing and comprehension. It was because of this teacher that I would be placed in a group study for half a day to learn reading and writing comprehension, although I was unaware of what was going on. I believe that I was one of the blessed students to be placed in the "Reading is Fundamental" program. I went from a kid that could not read anything past the word, 'the', to reading 10 books a week and won third place in a national poetry contest. From my first to my last school graduation and my graduation from Basic Training in the U. S. Army, there was no one there to cheer me on. Still, I just keep moving and I keep writing. I am living proof that no matter how long or how hard the struggle, God is able to bring you through the fire without a hint of flame if you just trust him!