Significance of You

Prologue

My name is Alexander. I'm a sixteen year old boy from a big city in Kansas. In my sixteen years, I've met person after person and I've gotten the pleasure of getting to know each person. Some of these people, I've gotten to know on an incredibly personal level. Some, I just know in passing. I've grown to learn that each of these people have significance in my life. Each person has changed me in a way. This is the story of them.

Before I start talking about them, I'd like to give you some insight on who I am. After all, it's good to know who's writing about you. Right?

For most of my life, I knew that I was different. Something just never clicked for me like it did for all of the other kids. I kept to myself for most of my life. Not that people didn't like me, but because I was afraid of them. More so, what they could do to me. Their impact. I knew from a young age that they could either better my life, or make it a living hell. So I stayed away.

All of that changed in middle school. After that, I started socializing. I started changing with each new person that I met. There's people in this book that have changed my music taste and started a love for music. There are some people in this book who have helped me mature into the young man I am now. Some have even broken my heart to help me become wiser. If you don't fall into the categories above, don't worry, you'll come up. I promise.

I'm just like you. I'm a sixteen year old kid who loves music and writing and his friends. However, I'm different from you. I've had issues in my life that have changed me. I've fallen deep into depression and I've lost my brother to suicide. I've attempted a few times myself. The darkness that I have is a scary thing. It's changed me and it's broken me. The people in this book, they are the reasons I am still here. They are the reasons I'm able to get out of bed and smile and go about my day. My rocks. My support system.

As you read on, you'll be seeing how I connect with different people. I won't be adding their names to this story so I won't be adding yours either. That's where this gets interesting. As you read on, try to figure out which chapter is yours and who the other chapters are about. I'm hoping that after you read these chapters, that you'll see just how much I appreciate you and everyone else in this book.

If you aren't in this book and you're just reading to read, I hope the people in this book remind you of some of the amazing people in your life. If you're ready, go on to the first chapter and see the significance you have on my life.