I did the things I had to do to get by. I used food stamps so that I could afford to feed my family even though I was divorced. I was hired by a department store, Nordstrom, to wash dishes and bus tables for $4.45 per hour. Each day, I would tell myself that it was going to get better and that no one can hold me down. All I ever wanted was the opportunity and then I would do the best I could with it. I did not go around trying to blame this person or that person. I never wanted anyone to give me anything. I believe we have to take responsibility for anything that happens to us and have always abided by my grandmother’s advice: “You got to do it yourself.”
Nothing could change my dream that one day I would be able to speak without stuttering. I overcame my obstacles and now I do something that very few people can do, which is to stand in front of hundreds or thousands of people and speak. I am not perfect, but I feel I have been a good person and I have tried to help others out. I did not give up despite losing everything and having no one around me. When I speak to groups or children, I advise them they need to start dreaming, get an education, and never give up. You can have all the money in the world yet it can be taken away, but no one can take your faith away. Put your trust in the Lord and be a decent person. Now, every day I feel good. Sometimes when I go down the street, I have to pull over and thank the Lord for keeping me straight and strong on this long narrow road. It has been a tough journey but I have hung in there.
Bio: Bob Love was a professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls in the 1970s. His number is retired beside that of Michael Jordan among others. His life after basketball was full of adversity. He managed to overcome a severe stutter and fight his way back from poverty. Provided by: www.survivingadversity.com
