This is my personal story about the most important lessons I learned as a young black girl, from age three to twelve, growing up on the streets of Chicago and in the rural town of Hooks Texas. The journey starts with my sister and I being left in Texas by my mother to live with my grandmother. Her strict, religious upbringing was challenging but gave me tools on how to talk my way out of almost any situation. They led me on many humorous, dangerous, and exciting adventures, of which I am still recovering.