The Fight of My Life is Wrapped Up in My Father - Paperback

by Drexel Diron Deal (Author)

Description Drexel fondly recalls his beautiful childhood, which was spent in a small over the hill community in The Bahamas call Montell Heights. Even though they were poor, yet those were the best years of his life. However, one day his life was shattered into a million little pieces, when his father walked out on them never to return. Soon thereafter, his father would attempt to kill his entire family. These events turned Drexel into a quiet but angry teenager, who violently rebelled against the system. Yet he was discovering that he was not alone in his feelings. Through interviews with drug dealers, prolific armed robbers, gang leaders, and convicted murderers, the pieces slowly began to fall into place. It became painfully obvious that they all were looking for the same things, to be accepted, to belong, and above all, to be love. Yet in the gang they found all of that and more, for the gang became the family they always wanted. Then one day without warning, their gang exploded in a furious internal war. Drexel now found himself desperately fighting for his life against friends, and a leader who was not only violent, ruthless, and brutal, but more strategically clever about the cold art of war. He ordered a hit on Drexel's life, and was there in person to witness him gun down in a hail of bullets. In this book "The fight of My Life is Wrapped Up in My Father", some seven years later after losing his sight in a foiled arm robbery attempt, Drexel sits down with this notorious gang leader. As well as other individuals from rival gangs. It was then that he discovered that they all shared a common bond of neglect, rejection and fatherlessness. Thus, in their quest to be loved, accepted and appreciated they created a world of their own, a world of senseless violence and murder. As they each reveal what lured them into a life of crime and street gangs, the solutions to our social ills and crime problems can be found in their stories. As we journey with them from innocence to menacing, from youngsters to monsters and remorseless predators, it becomes quite evident that they all could've been prevented

Author Biography

Drexel Diron Deal, was born in the picturous and beautiful island of Nassau in The Bahamas on July 3rd 1975, to parents Fred Deal and Angela Johnson. After witnessing his parents violent split up at the age of 5, which almost resulted in the death of his entire family, as a result Drexel's young life would be change forever. After being kicked out of school at the age of 16, he stumbled into a life of crime and eventually joining the most notorious street gang in the Bahamas at that time, the 'Rebellion Raiders' and his criminal career began in earnest. He quickly climbed up through the ranks of the gang becoming one of its top generals. However, one day the Rebellions erupted in a deadly internal war, that started with the leader of his gang being shot by Drexel. But some months later the leader would return the favor, by having him gun down in a hail of bullets where Drexel narrowly escaped death. However, rather than focusing on getting even, he turn his attention on a brazen deposit arm robbery. On July 3rd of 1996 he attempted to rob an armored vehicle where he was shot 4 times resulting in the loss of his sight. However, he attributes that occasion to finding his way. He says and I quote: I know that one of the greatest things that ever happen to me was the lost of my sight. The lost of which is pale in comparison, to the many blessings I've been able to find." His road to full recovery has not been an easy one, yet he was determined to make something out of his life. With the help of an international motivational speaker and author, Dr. D. Paul Riley who basically studied at the feet of Earl Nightingale, he took a special interest in Drexel's life and became like a father figure to him. Today Drexel is an author, a motivational speaker, a former Toast Master of the year, and speaker of the year. He's also the former president of the Disabled Persons' Organization [DPO], an organization which is geared toward the empowerment of persons with disabilities. In 2004 he spear headed the largest training initiative ever done in The Bahamas, to train some 21 persons with disabilities in 2 phases of computers. In August of 2006 Drexel was recognized as a high achiever, in the College of The Bahamas President's Scholars Report for his studies in effective writing and Human Resource Management.