The other Wes Moore

Have you ever met up with a longtime friend or aquatience and asked how things are going? Weather they came from different backgrounds or they are totally different from you; somehow you expect a totally different answer than your own, wouldn’t you? What if you met a friend who grew up with such similarities that he/she could have been you're adoptive brother or sister. What if you ended up being successful but your friend a criminal? If that person grew up in the same street with the similar struggle and temptation as your own; would you be surprise if they ended up a totally different outcome than you? What if they did? The question is how did they go down diverging paths? Was it coincidence? Reflecting on Wes Moore's New York Times Bestseller, The other Wes Moore one name, two fates, addresses this problem. Was it coincidence?

         Both Wes Moore are from Baltimore Maryland, Both Wes Moore’s had lost their father from their lives, the difference is that the Author's father was there and wanted to be there, while the other Wes Moore's father was not. Both Wes's grew up with single parents, most of the time; Both Wes Moore’s grew up as trouble makers who did not adjust well in school. Both Moore's was raised in rough neighbor hoods where temptations and danger were always lurking. Both had friends and family that care for the Wes’s one way or another. Both Wes’s mother attempted to have a better life for themselves and most importantly for their kids. Both Wes's had chances to succeed in life.

          The other Wes Moore’s turning point was the attempted stabbing of the little kid who punched his lip; the specific turning point is when Wes Moore’s brother , Tony, told him to send a message. This specific message gave Wes Moore a sinister foundation that he lived by. When Ray, the boyfriend of his sex mate/ girlfriend, came to him and punched him around, Wes Moore grabbed his gun and chased him down becuase he wanted to send a message. Another point has  to be the time he found his mother's stash of weed and when he became a look out for a drug dealer. This set up Wes to get into the "game"; He was finally like Tony. He did try to change and decided that being in the "game "was not worth it at one point. He went to job corps, thanks to recommendation of his friend Levy, to try to straighten up his life but realized that the reprocuttions of his criminal ways still burdened him financially; the earnings from his job corps skills were useless to support him and the child support he had to pay from his previous relationships.
           
           Wes Moore's, the author's, turning point was his mother's love and perseverance. Joy's love sent an unwilling Wes Moore to military school. Wes was surrounded by discipline, though in the beginning this caused his runaways, He generally idolized the officers’ demeanor and wanted to obtain it. Since Wes Moore did terribly in private school and was skipping, his mother’s choice was inevitable. Joy had to sum up money from family and friends to be able to send Wes to Valley Forge. Wes Moore decided to stick it out at the military school; specifically it was his mother’s risk to burden her. Another point would have to be when he was handcuffed with his "friend" Shea and thrown in a cop car. Wes indicated that he "was also sincerely fearful about what was going to happen next. and that self righteous look on shea's face was starting to piss me off...something about this situation soured me on romantic rebellion...and I swore I would never get cuaght in a situation like that again."(pg.83-84).

         Both Wes Moore’s parents were alike and different. The other Wes Moore had a lousy father who abandoned him. While Wes Moore's father past away right in front of him of natural causes. During the two's Wes’s conversation the author asked the other Wes " You don’t think about how things would be different if he'd (the other Wes’s father) been there? If he cared enough to be there?" The other Wes replied” No, I don't"...”Youre father wasnt there becuase he couldnt be, my father wasnt there becuase he chose not to be."  The other Wes asked “what impact did your father not being there have on your childhood" The author replied” I don’t know" The other Wes asked “Do you miss him?" and the author replied " " every day. All the time"...It always amazed me how I could love so deeply, so intensely, someone I barely knew." (pg. 1-2)

            While their mothers were very similar, both cared for their sons. One finished college and the other had to drop out. Both had abusive relationships, both moms dealt with the same personalities. One mother sent a son to military school willing to burden the financial weight. While the other mom just ignored the problem until it was too late. Yet the other Wes was heavily influenced by the game, the money, and authority over the streets; he was heavily influenced by his brother who was all of these things. The criminal’s brother was ruthless in the streets but loved and showed compassion to his brother. He told the criminal countless times to don’t be like him. ; But with the obvious hypocrisy from his presented to be a poor example for his brother.  While the author was influenced with the authority of honor from the officers'; who he frequently described to have a hovering aura of demanding respect. Because of the military personnel he cemented the idea that being a gangster was stupid as recalled his past truama with Shea, that he rather have this kind of respect than that of peoples fear on gangsters.

               This book taught me that human behavior depends on the environment and people you are raised with.  Both Wes Moore wanted respect and power. While one took the path to gain power with respect and honor, while the other decided to achieve it with fear and crime.  When people are young and find an idol to look up to, that idol will mold who that man or woman will be. An example of this would both the Moore’s mother, who constantly tried to move their sons to a new location and schoo. They knew that a bad enviroment would effect thier sons values and morals. That they had to sacrifice to get any benifits; it was the author's mother who sacrificed more  because Wes Moore’s mother worked harder to send Wes to military school ; with the financial support of his family, mostly his grandparents, and officers. 

              Another would be Wes moors family, Wes Moore had two successful parents, his father was a well-known reporter and his mother a ____. His grandparents were minsters of a church; Wes Moore had a friend who went through the struggle with him and kept contact through mail, he had officers to discipline him. In the case of the other Wes Moore, He had a hard working mother, a father who abandoned him and didn’t even recognize him; the other Wes Moore had a brother who he respected only because he was wealthy a feared rather than “respected”.  Wes’s brother was a drug dealer, who taught him to send a message, though he tried to prevent Wes Moore to become like him, he gave up after he turned up to be a reflection of himself. For a human to succeed in this competitively dark and unforgiving world, you need support.
                 
               I believe the other Wes Moore was an eye opener of a novel.  I like that it shows how two people who grow up with so much similarities could result in different outcomes ,which in reality it’s sad but its show the reality of how life can result. I also love the messages the people other than the main characters gave; for example Colonel Murphy, the commandant of cadets who was leaving to undergo treatment for his advanced stage cancer, " When it is time for to leave this school, leave your job, or even leave this earth, you make sure you have worked hard to make sure it mattered you were ever here." (pg. 133).
                
              The whole book is a motivator and inspires you to overcome the odds and grasp the chances you are given. I also love the fact that this book uses two lives as an example; Even though the other Wes in prison for life, this book uses his struggle as a deterrent and eye opener for the youth. The only dislike I would have is the fact that the Author never found the answer of why he ended up in a better position than the other Wes. I feel like the answer is all over the book.