Greetings once again, my readers. In a society that seems to believe in second chances for some, but not all, its important to show that its possible to turn your life around. This time out, we speak with Brandi Davis, the author of “The High Price I Had To Pay 4” shares her story of redemption.
Polite On Society: Please introduce yourself to our readers and let them know a little about your new book “The High Price I Had To Pay, Volume 4.”
Brandi Davis: My name is Brandi Davis. I’m a 34 year old, native of Detroit, Michigan. My book “The High Price I Had To Pay, Volume 4” is a memoir about my life and the experiences that led to my imprisonment.
POS: Tell us why you decided to write this book and why you feel the message enclosed is important?
BD: I decided to write a book about my life to bring awareness to the epidemic that I’ve seen in our judicial system. While incarcerated in federal prison for 7 1/2 years, I’ve watched a transition in the prison population. The age of the women coming in has grown younger and younger for non-violent, drug crimes. I listened to some of the girls stories and they really touched my heart. Many of them are serving double digits, and some even Life behind bars! I can relate to their experiences and how they got involved in the fast life. This led me to share my story, so I could help prevent others from making the same mistakes that we did.
POS: Describe a little about what your life was like growing up in Detroit?
BD: My life growing up in Detroit was kind of different from your typical middle class family. My father was a drug dealer who provided a good living for his household. From the outside looking in, you would think that I came from a hard working family. But in all actuality, my father was heavily involved in a criminal lifestyle. I didn’t know this until I grew up and heard stories about my dad. So I would say, even though I grew up in the suburbs, my life was far from typical.
POS: What kind of influence did your father have on your life? Would you describe it as good or bad? Explain.
BD: My father had a huge influence on my life. I admired him greatly. As a result, I was attracted to men who emulated his lifestyle. I was inspired by the drive my father had and the way he took care of our family. He was what I considered to be the “ultimate hustler,” yet he was quite a gentleman. Growing up, I aspired to have a man that treated me like my daddy treated my mother. But in all actuality, the lifestyle my dad provided was a gift and a curse. I never wanted for anything and was spoiled with expensive gifts and attention. Yet at the same time, I was exposed to an addictive lifestyle that came along with lots of consequences.
POS: Tell us a little about why you decided to try your hand in the drug game?
BD: I tried my hand in the drug game thinking I was being a loyal girlfriend. I was dating a guy from Chicago who had some issues in his hometown. He needed to quickly move some work outside of Chicago, so I decided I would help him out.
I had never sold drugs a day in my life. I was surprised how easy it was to make a lot of money swiftly. At the time, I never knew my actions would cost me my life. I now realize I was extremely naive and I didn’t think through the consequences.
POS: What was the most difficult about serving a 10 year bid in the FEDS?
BD: While I was in prison, being away from my son for 7 1/2 years was the hardest thing for me to deal with. When I was arrested my son had just turned 3 years old, so I left a toddler behind. It broke my heart knowing that I was going to miss out on so much of his life. Till this day, I have not completely forgiven myself for leaving my son, due to my poor choices.
POS: What message do you want to leave readers with who read your book?
BD: I want my readers to be cautious of the decisions they make in life. Sometimes we don’t think things through before we act. This can be detrimental! Love is also blind and we tend to move on our emotions, instead of our intellect. Therefore, we must watch the company we keep, because everyone doesn’t have the same intentions or love that we have for them. Life is too short to live on the edge, especially when you have children! Our decisions in life don’t only affect us, they also effect our loved ones too. Therefore, I caution my readers to cherish their lives and don’t choose life in the fast lane! It only leads to two things, death or prison.
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I’d like to thank Brandi for taking the time to talk about her journey, and her book. It is available on Amazon, Paypal, and Barnes and Noble. You can follow Brandi on Instagram as well.