Journal+1

Loss of innocence is when a child is exposed to the harshness of the world and realizes how hard things really are. They begin to become more mature and think as more of an adult. Two children I know lost their innocence at a very young age. Kyle* and Jamie* were about three and five when their mother began sexually prostituting them. They had no money, their father was in jail and their mother was a drug addict. These children were forced to have sexual encounters with other people for money. They were also forced onto each other. The children fought back and cried often during this time. Kyle, the eldest, would protect his young sister from people who were trying to hurt them. He had lost his innocence in the exposure to this early sexual nature. He was faced with having to become a protector, and like a father, to his sister when he was only five years old. After being sent to a home for children along with his sister, they had to be split up because of the sexual things they were used to doing. They didn't know. Kyle is now being adopted and his sister was adopted about two years ago. Kyle has blocked out the old memories and hopefully forgotten the experience entirely. He can now return to being a child again, thanks to the blocking of these horrible memories. __New Idea:__ When my basketball coach Rill passed away. I went to a basketball camp with his daughter and loved talking to him. He was always upbeat and humorous. On the way to the Shippensburg camp we stopped at his parents house. They were just as welcoming and upbeat. I could see where he has gotten his personality from.
 * Names have been changed