When I talk about my trauma from the past I know many others have had it harder. I know because I knew people who lived in third world conditions right in the heart of Sydney. Some of these people became criminally insane and spent decades in prison for the worst crimes.

I might look like I am moralising which I totally understand. What people can miss is that what I did was break the cycle and get completely out of that world. I actually don’t care if people want to be part of that world and stay in it. I suppose the way I escaped was through opportunities which many don’t get.

My first opportunity was art school and I got a low income scholarship to help me get into art school. Even though I would get into debt for decades I took the opportunity seriously and went into good debt, ie got educated. I avoided the people who had a history of violence, and believe me a lot of guys who murdered, raped and robbed were actually nice people.

The issue was their problems inevitably became everyone else’s problem. Not just the victims of their crimes but friends, associates and those within reach. By getting away from them and mixing with people who didn’t have a history of violence and crime, things were never perfect but I became less likely to be attacked verbally, physically or in any way.

People in nice homes who have nice stuff can be judgmental, rude or any other human characteristic but you don’t find yourself in hospital lucky to be alive like some of my friends have had to in the past. I am not going back to that, I don’t glorify it, I don’t care to be set upon by myopic thugs and careless types who don’t value themselves or others. I just want people to understand that life moves on or you just get stuck.