Second Chances - The Rebirth of Tyler Baker

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(Edited)


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If you believe in synchronicity, as I do, you begin to consciously look for patterns and reoccurring themes or occurrences that appear repeatedly in your life. One such theme has been very prevalent and powerful in the last few months—second chances.

@riverflows and I recently had a meaningful discussion in the comment section of one of her posts recently about the Goddess Kali. For those of you who’re unaware of what she represents in Hinduism, the Goddess Kali is primarily associated with time, change, destruction, and transformation. We discussed how Kali metes out a kind of “tough love” to humanity which is uncomfortable and painful but, ultimately, is for our benefit and evolution. If Kali represents the tough love our universe provides, then second chances are a a rebirth, a gentler example of the more nurturing side of the universe. It's solely up to us what we decide to do with that valuable gift—do we honor the gift, be grateful, and make the most of it or do we throw it all away?

I’m a grateful benefactor of a second chance myself. Around 1985, the crack cocaine epidemic began to inflict its blight the neighborhood I grew up in on the east side of Columbus, Ohio. Gangs, including factions of the L.A. Crips, moved in and vicious crime followed. The gangs saw medium-sized Midwestern cities as prime/easy targets for expanding their drug markets.

Local law enforcement and the judicial system in Columbus were in no way prepared for this heightened level of crime. Local politicians were afraid to admit there was even a gang-problem in fear of a mass exodus of taxpaying citizens from the city and could interfere with their re-election plans. However, a problem as large as this just couldn't be swept under the rug. It was a perfect storm. Over the course of just a handful of years our neighborhood, which just a few years prior was a solid and safe middle class neighborhood on the east side of Columbus, became an increasingly dangerous place to be.

High school became more like a prison, infested by gangs, and eventually each day became more about keeping safe than getting a good education. My best friend, Matt, and I were just innocent kids but we got caught up in it all which sparked some dark years in each of our individual life stories. Don’t get me wrong, our high school years weren’t all bad. In fact, we have some wonderful memories, but let’s just say the road we were traveling wasn’t taking us anywhere worth going. Long story short—I got a second chance and moved to Minnesota in 1995 and began a new life.

That new beginning itself was an incredibly difficult and stressful rebirth—a true gift from Kali. I had to start a new life, in a new place, with no job, and pretty much from scratch. In hindsight, this rebirth was far easier than the alternative of continuing the downward spiral. I still carry guilt for leaving but as the flight attendants say, “put on your own oxygen masks before helping others in the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure.” To me that period of my life felt like one of those kinds of dire situations. This post isn’t about me but I’ve just added these last couple of paragraphs for context.

Matt and I, and a few other friends, were at a house party one night when my friend Matt met Carol. Carol was a friend of Jill, my girlfriend at the time and over the previous year had become a good friend of mine as well. Sparks flew instantly between Matt and Carol. The two of them began dating and they eventually had a son together, Tyler. I was still living in Columbus, briefly, after Tyler was born. I also remember seeing him as a toddler a few times when I came back to Ohio for visits.

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Matt and his son, Tyler.

A new generation of drugs that moved into Columbus in the late-90's and 2000's, parts of Columbus witnessed even greater challenges than the crack epidemic of the 1980's.

Fast-forward to his pre-teen years, Tyler became ensnared by some of the same pitfalls and dangers that plagued the neighborhood his father and I grew up in. What people fail to understand is when you grow up in that type of environment it can, literally, happen to anyone. For those never exposed to what it’s like living in a crime-ridden neighborhood, the lifestyle is like a super contagious virus, one that impressionable male teens are especially susceptible to.

Shaka Senghor explains this better than anyone I’ve ever heard in his recent Joe Rogan podcast appearance.

Thankfully, Tyler was also gifted a second chance and he’s working to make the most of it, as you can see in this podcast he was recently featured in.

To say I’m proud of the progress and growth Tyler has made is an understatement because I realize how difficult of a mindset the mental prison of street-life is to escape—its gravity is nearly impossible to break free from but I can see Tyler is doing it.

You can’t hustle your way into healing and no one can do it for you, you simply must do the hard work. This deep, personal work is extremely difficult but well worth every effort. I have great respect for anyone who attempts to make this kind of change in their lives. Personal choices are extremely important, yes, but despite what a great many people might believe not everybody starts this game of life on the same level. Some have many rungs of the ladder to climb just to enjoy what is considered a "normal and average life" while others are born with great advantages. Our environments influence us infinitely more than we can even imagine and can, ultimately, play a huge role in our success or failure.

What I’ve learned from my own life-journey is the antidote to the gravity I mentioned before comes down to a simple set of maxims:

Take life one day at a time. Make it a mission to learn your strengths and weaknesses. Build a network of supportive people and mentors around you that hold you accountable. Make friends with people who possess the traits you wish to have. Don’t bullshit yourself. Promise yourself to become a little better every day. Be humble. Realize no one will save you—but you. Believe in something larger than yourself. Meditate every day. Take care of your health. Be kind. Do difficult things regularly. Above all, develop the strength to allow yourself to be vulnerable before the world. That last one takes the most courage of them all.

Gabor Maté’s book, The Myth of Normal, does an extraordinarily good job of explaining the importance of allowing yourself to be vulnerable in today’s toxic society.

Tyler has been hard at work building a music career for the better part of the last decade under the name of Vito Dinero. He’s launching a new album, one song at a time, on his YouTube channel. It’d be wonderful if you all could subscribe to Tyler’s YouTube channel and please show him some support in his journey. I’m rooting for him, as I'm sure many others are. I have a strong feeling it will be amazing to witness what Tyler makes of this gift—his very own second chance.

Much like the old saying friends are the family we get to choose, our second life is the one we have the power to consciously create—that is such an amazingly beautiful gift.

All for now. Thanks for reading.


www.ericvancewalton.net



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28 comments
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The difference between your childhood in a risky environment and starting fresh in Minnesota really shows how powerful second chances can be.

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I think it's really all about the quality of the choices you make. Starting fresh made that aspect easier. I'm very grateful for that second chance.

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I believe in second chances, but you have to be alert to catch that train, because otherwise, you can have many opportunities and be blind to them. Your text reminded me of my youth. I also grew up in a neighbourhood where drug use and prostitution were part of everyday life. My friends, aged 13 and 15, were prostitutes and drug users, living a life of excess. My parents always knew how to keep me in check, because they knew that if they let their guard down, I could fall into temptation. I never tried anything, but that was because I had my parents as my guardian angels. Some sociologists say that the environment does not shape people, but it can influence them positively or negatively. An excellent topic, my friend. Hugs.

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That's so true, Nancy! You have to do the work and can't expect others to do it for you. We were lucky because our neighborhood didn't start to turn bad until around 1985 and then it continued its decline for the next twenty years. My parents got out in 2003 and moved to Florida. It's sad to go back now and drive through the old neighborhood. So many memories! I'm very glad to hear your parents watched out for you. Your love of reading and education probably helped too. That had to be stressful to see so many of your friends go down the wrong path. It's insane for me to think of how many people I grew up with are gone now. Thank you and I hope the week is going well for you my friend!

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It's crazy to think that sort of thing was going on in Columbus given my recent visits there. I totally believe you though, I mean Detroit is just an hour and a half south of me, Flint 45 minutes, and Saginaw 15 or so. All of those cities have had major issues with gangs and the like. I'm glad that your friends son is on his road to a brighter future.

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(Edited)

The thing about Columbus is the danger/violence is pretty well concentrated within certain neighborhoods. If you're in the Dublin/Worthington area or many other neighborhoods throughout the city you'd never know there were problems but there are several areas that you'd not want to be caught in after dark, some not even during the day—Franklinton, South Linden, and Hilltop to name a few. The entire area just East of Downtown all the way to Bexley can be sketchy too. Our little neighborhood, near Eastmoor high school was idyllic, until it wasn't. It happened so very quickly too. Our old address is - 586 Elizabeth Ave if you'd ever like to drive through when you're in town. Our neighborhood would probably be fairly safe during daylight hours. Starting around '87 or so it was nothing to hear Uzis firing after dark in the projects a few blocks away. I felt bad for those older folks who didn't have the means to get out. Thank you!

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Wow, that is crazy. I am pretty sure we have been to Bexley before, but I don't quite recall exactly what for. It was probably a basketball or softball game. I understand what you mean about some areas being totally oblivious to the other areas.

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Bexley is still pretty decent! It's always been like an oasis, surrounded by sketchy areas. Les Wexner used to live in North Bexley before he built his new mansion in New Albany. If you want an eye-opening experience travel down High Street (downtown) to either Main Street or Livingston Avenue and drive east.

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I'll keep that in mind. Now that the girls are graduated, our times of traveling to all the different areas of town are probably pretty slim. You never know though! We do go downtown occasionally. The Jazz and Ribs fest is always a good time down there.

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I always enjoyed that festival. The ComFest in Goodale Park (Short North) was always my favorite.

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The town I live in has a corn fest every year too. The town I work in has a cheese festival, and the town just south of there has a pickle festival.

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I'm a huge fan of the smaller festivals now. Parking is usually easier and it's more enjoyable, overall, for me.

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Yeah, I can understand that. Even the little ones are still a bit too many people for us depending on where you are :)

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Hello dear friend @ericvancewalton, good afternoon.

I'm so sorry for what you went through as a teenager. I'm glad you had the opportunity to move to Minnesota and start a new life.

The life your friend Tyler had to face is very sad. Luckily, life gives second chances, and he knew how to take advantage of it.

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(Edited)

Thank you! I didn't have it that bad during childhood. I'd say 80% of the time it was just like any other middle-class childhood in that time period. Sometimes we found ourselves in dangerous situations that were beyond our control but most of the time it just boiled down the choices we made in the moment. Our neighborhood got even worse in the 2000's after we all moved away. Tyler is making the most of his second chance. I'm really happy for him!

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That is a different world... I grew up in Kharkiv, Ukraine and I guess despite childhood that was a bit turbulent due to Soviet Union falling apart and economic strife I never experienced anything like what you have described.

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It was unique for us because prior to 1985/6 the neighborhood was quiet and peaceful—so my friends and I (GenX) lived in both of those worlds. It's difficult to imagine a single drug (crack cocaine) could destroy the fabric of the neighborhood so profoundly. I bet that was an interesting experience for you growing up in that region as the Soviet Union was falling apart! Have you ever written about it? I watch a YouTuber, Bald and Bankrupt, that used to travel around Russia and former Soviet countries and talk about the way of life and history of the Soviet times. It was really fascinating when he talked to the older people about their memories!

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I have not written about it. I was fairly young when Soviet Union fell apart. In 1991 I was around 15-16 years old, but I do remember a lot about that time.

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It takes great strength of character to grab that second chance and make the most of it. Good on you Eric, for making the move, look what a blessing you are to this tired world of ours. I'll be rooting for Tyler, too late for the video now😴

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I really appreciate that, Lizelle! It takes a fair amount of luck too. I didn't have it nearly as bad as Tyler did. Parts of Columbus gotten even more crime-ridden after I moved away in 1995. This wave of opioids has been as destructive (or even more) than crack cocaine was in the 80's. The podcast is very powerful.

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After facing too many difficulties, facing a second chance with courage is a real blessing. The first experience is more than enough to make our life better, when given a second chance. The strength to allow our vulnerability to the open world is definitely going to be the last challenging face of our life. While reading this article, I was just wondering how can life be too short....

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Yes! It's all about the choices we made, isn't it? We can live many, many lives in the course of one lifetime.

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This is such a powerful reminder of the strength of the human spirit. Stories like Tyler's truly show how transformation is possible, no matter the starting point. Second chances aren’t just about opportunities—they're about the courage to grow, heal, and rewrite your story. Thank you for sharing such an inspiring message. We all need that reminder sometimes.

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Thank you. You're so right, personal change is so deeply rooting in courage. The thing is once we begin to make better choices, take a different path, or try something that scares us it get easier each successive time. The fear we feel is a coward and will back down if we stand up to it. You're welcome. I'm glad to hear it resonated with you!

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In many things, we get only one chance in life. If we make a mistake, we only get one chance to correct it. Or, if we are doing some work and after making a mistake, we get a second chance, then it is the happiest thing for us and we never have to make that mistake again in life. If we are wise, then

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For sure, sometimes the window of opportunity only opens once or we don't get a "do-over".

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