Darren's story-Hopes and dreams

And So what are your, what, what are your hopes and dreams for the future? I want to become a mentally ill parent supporter, single parent supporter. That is my aim. That is the highest level. Yeah

I can't do that for an alcoholic. I can't do that for addicts. I can, I can say, give them words of wisdom, but it might not work, but working with kids and parents are struggling

my street. I am a kid. When I see a kid, I'd be turning to a kid like, yeah, my nephews and nieces, I just lay on the floor

They jump all over me and pop the set on my head and everything and just lie there and just and you come in and, yeah, you just, you know, other things like the girls. They put makeup on it. I mean, I'm not saying like a little bit

I mean, it's clumps of it on my cheeks and everything and the you should have got them to get you ready. And he sticks to me they're all laughing and yeah. Um, so, so who got you on this programme? Sam, Sam from Groundworks

I know you know you did tell me earlier, but I just don't I don't know, um, yeah, and like I say, she, she applied for me on the internet, and within half an hour, I actually had a reply saying we want you. Yeah. We, we, we love your enthusiasm, your energy

You seem to be genuine, which I am anyway. I don't see, I don't want to be on a bad side. There's too much bad in this world

I'm not asking for world peace, but I'm just not one of them people. I'm polite, well mannered, and I respect, respect people, you know. Um, yeah, that's just me, that's just me

People find it hard to believe, you know, I've been told I've been too nice. You know, I'm talking to people on the internet saying you're too nice, it's not right, you're fake. You miss out and I don't

I'm missing out and I'm not missing right one will come along. Yeah, yeah, but that that'll happen when it's happening. But these groups are my focus

These are my way to a better life. I might, I could get a job at the end of it, you know. Brilliant, brilliant

I'm, um, yeah, I'm happy. I can, I can't be any happier. No, that's amazing

Sort of just along in your journey, would there have been anything that could have made it easier, could have made your life easier, your journey easier where you was thinking of start thinking that um. I, I had rules. I, I was, my parents, my parents were pretty strict with me, you know what I mean, being at a certain time at night, don't be doing any criminal activities, which I never did

They kept me out of it, you know, I was always playing football at night or doing something playing golf or. Doing something with the lads, you know, not, not criminal damage, not nothing like that. So I was always a good top kid

I was always a top kid, you know, well, well behaved and that, but. Yeah, my dad was always on my back. I want to do something good

No, you'll never do that. You'll never do that. You're not good enough, you know, and then I don't see, I don't get on with my dad

I mean, he's dying of cancer. I don't get on with it. Um, and then last year we found a birth certificate in my mum's wallet that she'd kept from me for 40 years and it had a different name on it

So we found out that I was only half, my brother's only half my brothers. Well, no, cause I knew anyway, but I, I kept shut the lads didn't 3 brothers didn't. So, but yeah, it's gone downhill a bit from there

But I'm not worried about the family because the family dragged me back. My family dragged me back telling me I'm no good, telling me I'm doing this. I'm, I should be doing that

I think for myself, no more things for me. And that's why I'm a better person today because I'm thinking for myself. And you're getting with people who are positive, isn't encouraging everyone

There's never a bad word. There's never, never any bad remorse or anything, no, no grudges, no, um no bad, no feeling, nothing at all, so. Yes, and it's, it's really, yeah, it's changed my life

And I'm, I'm proud of myself. I'm proud of everyone that's helped me, so, yeah, yeah, I'm really, um. Not at the top of my game yet

It's still a bit, it's an improvement, but if this is what it feels like to be good and to be nice, I, I don't want to ever be anybody else. Oh, I love that. Honestly, and this is me being genuine

Yeah, and I get like I say, I get called fake talking to people on the on the net and you go, you're too nice, it's not right. Well, go away then. If you think I'm fake because I'm being nice

If I was being a, you know, a little bit of, you know, being audible I understand people saying that. Oh you, you're in a, you know, I don't want that, do you, but it's not, it's totally different. Yeah, that's just pretty standard with me

I'm pretty boring guy, but. In that, in that way, because you have to say if you're nice, you're boring. Yeah, I don't do anything outrageous anymore

I used to use 2 years ago I used to eat anything. People say eat this. Yeah, yeah, go on then

chilli powder and peanut butter or something, just try to get that. I was them people made people laugh that way, you know, not, like I said, never criminal, never criminal activities to me. Um, I don't judge anyone that's done prison

I don't judge anyone, everyone, um. And people tell me that, oh, God's on your side. Listen, we have to understand, it's not that I don't well

God gives you life. You, you have, he gives you life, you have a soul, you have emotion. You have to do all that yourself

You don't, he don't tell you that you're going to go to another destination in a minute. You don't say, all right, you once you've finished it, you're going there. I know you live your own life

You don't live your life for you. It gives you all the tools, the strength within. That's how I see it

I don't, my, my mom loved loved to pictures everywhere, um, but. Yeah, it gives us the strength. He gives us the tools, you know, we don't live our life follows

It allows you to be independent and individual and a human being. That's why. And that's a great point to stop

Thank you so much. Yes, that was easy. I thought I was getting quizzed

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