Since I have picked back up reading Jim has faced a few more difficulties. He lost his new job as a plumber because of a crazy client that accused him of sexually assaulting her. Afterwards him and his roommate decided that it would be a good idea to try and smuggle drugs to Michigan, while at the bus station they were stoped by police who arrested them and they were sentenced to thirty days in prison. While in prison Jim found himself defending himself and Marco, meanwhile back in California Marco's car was impounded and they were evicted from their apartment. Once they were released from jail they lived in a "half-way" house with other ex-cons and recovering addicts.  Jim soon met a woman named Lonnie and instantly fell in love. Him, Lonnie, and Marco's were inseparable all though Lonnie began missing home.

Jim began coping more proactively, he realized he was in a tough situation and tried to prevent and more bad things from happening. He started filling out job applications to earn money so they would have a place to stay. Jim's, Lonnies', and Marco's adversities are to their fault only, everybody is given the opportunity to make something out of their life, if they do not take advantages of those opportunities then that can only be their fault. For example; Jim could have chosen to be adopted he would have some what of an education and could have been and excellent football player, but he chose to stay in the boys home.

"La Casita,with its two tar-papered cardboard rooms, one bed where we all slept, woodstove, and cold water spigot, wasn't the white picket-fenced house in a tree-lined city suburb she'd dreamed of." (p. 11)

The drama started early in A Place to Stand, introducing a young boy named Jim. Jim watched his mother get raped when he was six years old. Confused and hiding in a small crawl space under the family shack, the only place he felt comfortable and where he often played, he did not know whether to attack, run for help, or hide in fear. This was just the beginning of the many adversities Jim had to face during his life time. Everynight he; along with his mother, sisters, and brothers, awaited his fathers return knowing he'd be drunk and either looking for a fight or pleading how much he wants to do better. Finally his mothers grows tired of these drunken tyrants and embarks on a journey for a better life (selfishly on for herself), she drops Jim and his brother and sister of to there grandparents house where they'll begin raising them. A couple years afterwards their grandfather dies and the boys are took to a orphanage home, every night believing that one of their family members would soon be back for them. After entering that orphanage home Jim was never the same, often finding himself in and out of juvenile centers and jail.

After all the difficult times Jim has been through you would think he'd learn how to cope beneficially after being thrown in jail so many times. Unfortunately he has not, Jim uses aggression to cope with his adversities. He often finds himself in fights with random people just because he knows he can fight and wants others to feel the pain he's been feeling all these years. I'm completely against violence and I do not condone it in any way, so the fact that Jim purposely gets drunk and rides around looking for fights is repulsing. However I find the book very interesting so I'm excited to see what else it has in store and to figure out how Jim will reach self relization. If I were in those shoes I would cope with venting, reactive, and proactive coping. And if I was given the chance to be adopted with a happy family I would have done it, and took that as an opportunity to become a better person (getting more involved/interested in school, and shining as a football star).

Good afternoon readers! I chose to read A Place to Stand, because Dr. Shelly said it would be about drug dealers/users, prison isolation, and life changes. These topics caught my interest because I'm not a very avid reader and I get bored fast, however those topics are interesting to me. I find myself understanding more when I'm actually engaged and feel connected to the book. I also like the cover of the book; it brings a sense of anxiety to the introduction before you even start reading and fully understanding. I have not read much of the book, but from what I have read, I hope to gain a better concept of appreciation.