Each piece of a puzzle makes the picture whole. At one point during the process of manufacturing, the picture is divided into smaller puzzle pieces. By the time the puzzle is disconnected, broken down into several parts — each with its own distinct fit — it is placed and contained, then distributed for someone else’s use.

As I considered “why working with Opportunity Youth is so important to ME,” this analogy came to the forefront of my thoughts.

For most of us born in the USA, we grew up with hopes, dreams, and aspirations. Even starting from the bottom, we find a way to see ourselves in how we fit into the bigger picture of the American Dream. Through the process of life I separate myself from a nice fit. As I began to isolate myself and gravitated to things that “looked” more High Definition greener on the other side, life began to divide off into other things.

My hopes of working and traveling became a corner radius. But of the $100 I made working, I was only able to save $20….

Read the rest of Jamiel’s article here