Bad habits

I started smoking at around 12 after my dad died.  I hung around with the wrong crowd.  I joined a "gang" with no name.  They sat around mostly smoking and complaining about the n_ _ _ _ _s and how we should stone or beat them all.  No reason given.  I went along with this attitude for a few months but became tired of the tension that seemed to pervade the group and the weird way it made me feel.  I was all about finding myself but not at the risk of losing my life or inflicting harm on others.  In fact, it took me to a hard lesson in life.  I was walking home from a "meeting" for what I knew was the last time.  I walked home as I usually did, along the creek on the railroad tracks, heading for the overpass to walk up to Marshall Road and then home.  http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Upper+Darby,+292+Kent+Road,+PA&sll=39.950873,-86.261937&sspn=0.113172,0.307274&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=292+Kent+Rd,+Upper+Darby,+Delaware,+Pennsylvania+19082&ll=39.95658,-75.255082&spn=0.007073,0.019205&z=16

The concrete incline (you’ve seen them when you go under an overpass on the highway) was the best way to get to the top.  Today, it seemed the fastest way too.  Before reaching this I was met by several young black guys who just seemed to appear from behind some bushes.  Maybe 6 or 8, but don’t honestly remember.  Imagine this skinny white boy, about 5’5” wearing a thin, grey jacket seemingly surrounded (a few feet away anyway) by several guys who was wondering what he was doing on their turf.  One of them asked me if I had any money and all I had on me was a nickel and a book of matches stuffed in my jacket pocket.  Now imagine this skinny kid (I wasn’t even 100 lbs yet), confronted by a group of strangers who were probably not liking this kid in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Well, the next thing I heard was “I’ll give you 5 …”  I think my heart raced and I took off running towards the underpass.  When I reached it I was on all fours climbing as fast as I could.  

My best friend at the time was considered a bad influence by my mother.  She was probably right.  His name was Bill Rugh.