We’ve all heard that laughter is the
Humor plays
Sharing the pleasure of humor
2 . “Oh，my god.Are you serious?”
That’s a reaction I often get when people hear the tale of my childhood.
It’s a story I don’t often share.Growing up in a bad home, I learned to protect myself by not speaking up.I've seldom said anything about how badly I was treated and hurt as a child. I don’t talk about how my name was changed at least three times, what it was like to live in my van(箱式货车), or how I've struggled with anxiety, depression, and wanting to kill myself.But I learned to start speaking up for myself.I went on to earn two graduate degrees and I will complete my Doctor’s degree this year.I've also become a widely published author.So，how did I get to where I am today?
What helped me is surrounding myself with caring, loving people. I've learned day-to-day skills through research, trial and error, and with the help of skilled professionals. They’ve taught me how to slow down，to breathe，to be thankful for what I've got.They’re the ones who make my goals possible.They have also taught me to turn my past experiences into strength-to make the negatives into positives.
My hope is that sharing my story might help others to see what is possible even in the darkest of times and help others to speak out.I don’t think I'm in any way special or unique. I'm a common man，no more deserving than anyone else.But for far too long，I've been afraid that others think I'm damaged goods.I've worried about how I might be treated differently.
Pain and fear teach us to be silent.It’s time for that to change.
I don’t know what tomorrow might bring.But one thing I've learned is that if we can hold on and find help，if we find ways to get through the day and speak up，we’11 not only survive，but become stronger than before.
Our very survival can be an inspiration all on its own.And with love of my friends，I look forward to so much more than completing my education—I look forward to the future.
1. Which might not be related to the author’s childhood?| A．Depression | B．Disappointment | C．Desperation | D．Trust |
| A．With the help of his parents. |
| B．Learning by himself. |
| C．Holding on and finding help from others. |
| D．Being special and talented. |
| A．To become stronger than before. |
| B．To encourage others to make the most of their dark times of life. |
| C．To become a better publisher. |
| D．To change the ways to speak up. |
| A．We should overcome the difficulty depending on ourselves. |
| B．We should keep silent when meeting pain and fear. |
| C．Managing to survive when in trouble can make us stronger. |
| D．Our childhood 1ife decides our future. |
