What if I told you that your luck was based on where you live

When I was a boy, I didn't have a lot of luck. I was in and out of hospital because of an accident. I got fourth degree burns on my hands. I managed to keep my fingers but 4 out of 10 of them are severely deformed to a point where I didn't and still don't like to show them. I often catch myself even today hiding my hands from people. Needless to say I suffered a lot as a child. Children can be cruel if they see someone who has slightly different features to the rest and they are not shy in letting you know they find you strange. 

My fingers and lot of other things kept me injured until I reached high school. 

So I was a teenager, my family and I lived in Birmingham UK and my life was pretty mundane. One morning my mother sprung some news on us that we would be moving to a small town called Rugby in the United Kingdom. 

As you can imagine my older siblings didn't take the news well, but me as the usual household motivator told my brothers and sisters not to worry because this was an opportunity to start fresh and make new friends. My siblings weren't buying it and by the time it was time to uproot and move my brother and sister decided to stay with their friends families. I however was looking forward to it like any other new move. It was exciting and I was determined to make the most of what awaited me. 

Now what happened when we moved was I met great friends had great experiences and learnt a lot of good things. I was welcomed with open arms into my new school and learnt to play the piano with more intensity. I was popular in school and used to hold regular piano performances in front of the whole school twice a week. I felt the love. My luck was up and for 3 years things were perfect. I was heading in the right direction in school and the future looked bright. 

Then came the news my mother wanted to move us back to Birmingham from where we once came. I was very apprehensive this time because I was now older and somewhat wiser. Somehow I knew I was in my lucky place, I could just feel it. 

Eventually I gave in and move with my mom back to hell. Life went down hill from there. All my friends where now too far to visit. My old friends where no longer interested in me. I left school with no more ambition to go to college because times got rough for us in Birmingham. I ended up going to college then dropping out twice, got a real lowly paid job working unsociable hours and barely making £600 a month. It continued like that for about 5 years before I decided enough was enough and I was getting out of England. There was something about living in Birmingham that unmotivated me and living in Rugby that inspired me. I later left Birmingham to live in Germany and although my time is nearing an end here. I have had mostly positive experiences. 

I think it makes sense to move around if things are not working out for you. It is definitely hard to get out of a certain routine when you have the same sort of people around. It is also important to recognise when your are in an unlucky place or climate. 

Birmingham was and still is very much an unlucky place for me, although my whole family still live there. I only go to visit now occasionally and when my family ask me when I'm coming home I smile and say “There's too much world to see!” So if you have a chance, don't wait around... Go now and don't look back. 

Ps I'm well aware that you should and can create your own luck wherever you are, but there is definitely something about location,location, location. 

Alstallio

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