I am often reminded of the old saying “God allows people to cross your path for a reason or a season”. I, Carlos Franklin, am no exception. Within recent years, I have had my share of struggles. I have struggled to be a productive citizen of society, to be a good man and a great father. I struggled to be active in my son’s life as I should, but the world seemed adamant that it could not be. I made a personal choice to become a father and I make no apologies. I presumed society would commend a man for taking full responsibility of his choice. I was not prepared for the harassment I received when I chose to be involved in my son’s lives, especially their education.
I have been in and out of juvenile court to obtain the right to just spend the necessary time with my sons. I wanted to show the court that their plan was not adequate enough for a male child on his way to becoming a man. So in November 2012 the journey to obtain reasonable custody with my children began. They needed their father far more than four days a month. Again, the journey was not easy and the struggles were many.
My oldest son was given an attorney referred to as a Guardian Ad Litem. The courts also gave my sons’ mother an attorney. The mother, through the court appointed attorney, made false allegations to DCS after my initial visitation request. The problem with the allegation was (1) it was false and (2) they never consulted with my son regarding the validity of the allegation. I was crucified because I wanted to spend more time with my son, initially, by the courts and then by DCS. Thankfully, I had an attorney who was able to mediate this case and ultimately my request was honored. I was granted joint custody. I have been successful in my attempts to obtain more time with both my boys. My biggest fear is them becoming a statistic; dead or in jail. In spite of my life, I want them to know that failure is never an option; only motivation to strive for better.
Within recent years, I have had so many good people to cross my path that have brought me nothing but thankfulness. I was eventually referred to the New Life Fatherhood Program. What I appreciate about this program is that they offer you direction to resources that could be very valuable in assisting a man to become a great father. The individuals working this program took the time to get to know the individual. They were eager to find what direction you wanted to go in on a weekly basis to find gainful employment. I liked the fact that a counselor would actually call the employer for you to confirm to them that you are a participant of their program. They provided the basic tools to be considered for employment like;
• How to conduct yourself on an interview
• How to conduct yourself in public
• How to communicate with my children and their mothers
• How to bank efficiently
• How to save money
Having been a part of the New Life Fatherhood Program, I was eventually led to the Real Program at the Oasis Center where I became more involved with helping other. Having had previous experience with volunteering at local community centers, I thought it was only befitting to continue my public service by becoming a part of this program. As a franchise owner of a cleaning service, my schedule is busy, but I find great joy in volunteering by helping others in my community. My personal goal is to be able to help someone in my community with future employment.
