We all experience challenges, some significant and some minor. What matters most is how courageously and tenaciously we meet those challenges and the knowledge that it is never too late to make a change. Ginny Burton is knowledgeable about the subject, I can assure you of that. Her inspiring account of overcoming adversity and succeeding was recently published by Local12 News, and it is impressive. According to Eric Johnson of Local12, he first met Ginny while researching the nation’s worsening homelessness crisis several years ago.
A 47-year-old meth addict graduates from college after getting clean.
Lazarus Day Center, according to Eric, is a men’s shelter run by Catholic Community Services. I’m not exactly sure what I was seeking. My only objective was to have a conversation and learn something. “I approached a female employee and introduced myself. She looked exhausted, as did her long hair. She moved outside and spoke to me for a while, despite the fact that she seemed suspicious and was being pushed in a lot of different directions. The woman who was sought-after was Ginny Burton. According to Local12, Eric called Lazarus two years after initially meeting Ginny to make sure she was still working there.
After she called, Eric wrote a letter to her saying, “I don’t know why, but I think I need to talk to you again.”. She then started recalling incidents from her past, including how she was born to a heroin addict and dealer who also suffered from a mental illness. Her father was sentenced to prison when she was only four years old for armed robberies. Ginny started using marijuana when she was six years old as a result of her challenging upbringing. She was introduced to meth by her mother when she was twelve, and by the time she was fourteen, she was using crack.
She allegedly experienced a rape when she was 16 years old, and at age 17, she made her first attempt at suicide. Ginny began using heroin at the age of 23 after giving birth to two children and leaving a violent marriage. In an admission to Local12, Ginny said, “I am that person.”. 17 felonies have been found against me. You used to be holding your bag as I passed you. I am the type of person to attack someone at random in public. I was not a friendly person. Everyone took turns playing the victim and the prey. “My life on the street consisted of me and a male companion robbing Mexican drug dealers at gunpoint,” she continued.
“You’re hopeless when you’re on the street; you smell like feces; you haven’t taken a shower in a long time; you can’t get into a social service during working hours because you’re too busy trying to feed your addiction, which is more significant than you; you’ve repeatedly compromised your integrity; and you’re starting to be victimized by the people on the street. You have had enough. You would prefer to die than live. I wished I would be destroyed by someone for the majority of my addiction. After realizing her bad behavior, Ginny tried to stop it, but she was enmeshed in an unstoppable cycle of addiction. In 2008, she completed her most recent 33-month prison sentence.
She was able to stay sober after leaving for six months before relapsing. She was then imprisoned once more on December 5, 2012, following that.
She admitted, “I was driving a stolen truck,” to Local12. ”. a protracted one. A policeman flashed his lights as I went faster to stop me for a broken taillight. He pursued me after I took off running. I nearly collided with a tree in front of a housing development. “.
However, the story did not end there. At the very least, it does not mean that all hope is lost. Ginny underwent treatment and rehabilitation after pleading to be admitted into the Drug Diversion Court program, where she could regain and maintain her sobriety. Ginny began working as a social worker for the Post Prison Education Program for seven years because she was determined to atone for her prior wrongdoings. She got the idea to go to school there.
I was shocked to realize how much time I had wasted, she said. “I also found that I was quite adept at learning. I found it appealing. “.
Ginny attended South Seattle College before submitting an application to the University of Washington. In 2019, she was awarded a Martin Honor Scholarship for the University of Washington. When Ginny was 47 years old, she achieved great success in her political science coursework.
She used two distinct images to remember two distinct occasions in her life. One mugshot taken in 2005 at the King County Jail shows her in the worst possible condition. The other shows her smiling and donning her gown and cap. She stated, “Today, I’ve let go of feeling insecure about my age, the lines on my face, my genetics, my failures, and imposter syndrome to recognize that if I’m still breathing, I can do anything I set my mind to. At the age of 48, this former quitter earned his political science degree from the University of Washington Seattle, which is a significant accomplishment. One cannot help but be inspired after reading about this woman’s darkest moments and ultimate redemption.
Ginny said to Local12’s Eric Johnson, “My story isn’t a coincidence”. “I believe that it will be used by everybody else. I might be able to play the part of the Pied Piper and help people take back their lives. I’m concerned about that particular problem. I daydream about moving in here, establishing a garden, and opening a small café on some days. I am however conscious of my duty to continue igniting hope. What a skillfully written tale. For those who are struggling, Ginny, you offer hope.
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