You Thought You Couldn't Change, Either
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
It was early in the morning, around three am, on November 5, 2003. For some reason I had just awaken up to go to the bathroom. As I looked into the kitchen I saw nothing but flames everywhere. I attempted to reach the kitchen to use the phone to call the fire department. I was unable to reach the phone because the smoke was so intense that all I could think about was getting out of that apartment as quick as humanly possible. A few years ealier I had been diagnosed with sleep apnea. I had this large oxygen tank with a mask connected to it, which I use every night to sleep. I also carried oxygen around with me to breathe so I had around 15 oxygen containers in my bedroom that was full. Due to the amount of oxygen I had in my apartment I had posters placed on the front and back door warning people of the danger of using fire around the apartment.
In the last ten years I had accumulated a sizable amount of awards, plaques, trophies, certificates and college degrees. They were displayed at various locations in my apartment. At the time of the fire material possessons did not seem to matter that much. All I could think of and focus on was getting out of that fire. I remember trying to run out of the front door with one part of my pants on and trying to put the other part on while at the same time holding my sneakers and shirt in my hand. I remember seeing two of my neighbors in the back yard trying to fight the fire and yelling at them to get away because of the oxygen. I was heading down the end of the street when I saw the fire trucks and warned them of the oxygen.
That night I was taken to the local medical center for smoke inhalation. They suggested to me that I spend the night so they could run tests and make sure that I was alright. The next morning after I was discharged from the hospital I went to the apartment and saw that everything had been totally destroyed. I had lost furniture, important documents of myself and my deceased parents, pictures and you could see the results of the fire everywhere you looked in the apartment.
That morning I spoke with the fire marshall and he told me that it was definitely arson and that the fire had been started from the back porch. I remember thinking to myself how could this happen. I know how it happened. The question that needed answering was why did I allow myself to get into a situation in my life where someone would want to take my life. What life path could I have taken to avoid this? The answer must lie within my life's story.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
"You Thought You Couldn't Change, Either" is a book about the true accounts of the life of Andre Gilchrist. The book is written by Andre Gilchrist and explores how this individual went from living a life of serenity and peacefulness to living a life full of mental, physical, intellectual and spiritual degradation and how he was able to bring himself out of that lifestyle to living the life he lives and enjoys today. The book is written in two parts: "You Thought You Couldn't Change, Either" and "Fear of Intimacy."
This book is written with the intention of allowing people to see and internalize the concept that no matter where one is in their life process that they can stop and turn their lives around. The first part of the book is devoted to showing in a chronological process the writer hitting rock bottom and then working his way out of that predicament. The second part of the book deals with the concept of intimacy as it was pivotal in the writer's life. It also deals with the life and struggles of the author and a more intense look into the internal structure of the individual.
This is the story of one individual's struggle within himself. This is the story of one individual's journey from desperation to determination. This is the story of an individual exposing his weaknesses in life and having those same weaknesses manifest later in that individual as strengths. His is the story of an individual who has learned in life that everyone has to trust others and allow others to help him and that no one is completely independent of other people.
About the Author
The author, Andre Gilchrist, is a middle aged African American who resides in the state of New Jersey. Through his involvement in the military and Viet Nam Conflict has been exposed to a wide variety of life's experiences and life's diversities.
The author comes from a middle class family which consisted of his mother, father and brother who are all deceased now. Through his life's trials and tribulations the author has had many highs and lows in his life.
Considering the barriers and obstacles in his life the author has had to overcome during his past life experiences, the author has made a miraculous recovery in improving his life and helping his fellow man. The author has garnished a number of awards and degrees which are a testament to his hard work and dedication to improving his life and the lives of all around him.
The author has been and continues to be a leader in his community, deeply involved in community activites, in both social and political commitments. His tenacity and enthusiasm bode well for his success in his present and future life. The author has demonstrated pure determination as well as a desire to learn and create positive changes in his life and his community.
The author credits Professor Tucker and Carroll Wilson, of Raritan Valley Community College English Department, for cultivating and improving his love of the English word into a form of communication that is easily understood by all who reads or hears his thoughts and words.
The author has risen to local and statewide prominence as an advocate and spokesperson for the less fortunate. The author continues to live his life in a way to let all those around him know that "If he can change then they can to."