Draw My Life - Gabriel Conte - Summary

Summary

The narrator shares their life story, which begins with their parents' complicated pasts. Their father, JC, had a previous marriage that ended in abortion, while their mother, Grace, contracted HIV from a dishonest partner and was told she had only 10 years to live. Despite these challenges, the couple met, fell in love, and got married. When they became pregnant, doctors advised them to abort the child due to Grace's HIV status, but after a supernatural encounter, they decided to keep the baby. Their son, Patio, was born healthy and HIV-free.

The narrator, born 15 months later, grew up in a loving family and was homeschooled. They developed a passion for the arts, particularly theater and music. After failing to get a real estate license, they discovered Vine and began creating content, eventually gaining a large following. They pursued a degree in acting and moved to Los Angeles, where they started their career, booking acting gigs and eventually meeting their future wife, Jes.

The narrator reflects on the challenges of making friends in LA and the loneliness they experienced. However, they eventually found love and got married. Now, at 22 years old, they are building a life with their wife and pursuing their careers in the entertainment industry.

Facts

Here are the key facts extracted from the text:

1. The narrator's parents were both in previous relationships before meeting each other.
2. The narrator's father was married and had a pregnancy, but his wife had an abortion due to his young age and lack of readiness for parenthood.
3. The narrator's mother was in a relationship with a man who was dishonest with her about important things.
4. The narrator's mother contracted HIV at the age of 27 and was told she had 10 years to live.
5. The narrator's parents met, fell in love, and got married, despite the challenges of the mother's HIV diagnosis.
6. The narrator's mother gave birth to a son, Patio, who was born healthy and HIV-free.
7. The narrator was born on October 24, 1994, in Miami, Florida.
8. The narrator has an older brother, Patio, who is 15 months older.
9. The narrator's family moved to Fort Lauderdale when he was young.
10. The narrator's mother homeschooled him and his siblings.
11. The narrator attended school for two years before returning to homeschooling.
12. The narrator's father was a real estate broker.
13. The narrator and his brother decided to get their real estate licenses, but the narrator failed the test twice.
14. The narrator discovered the app Vine and started creating content, eventually gaining 10,000 followers.
15. The narrator's mother encouraged him to pursue his passion for the arts.
16. The narrator auditioned for colleges and was accepted into every one he applied to, eventually choosing Florida State University to study acting.
17. The narrator grew his Vine following to 100,000 followers by the end of his first year of college.
18. The narrator decided to focus on growing his social media presence instead of getting a job.
19. The narrator moved to Los Angeles in the summer of 2015 and started his career as a social media influencer and actor.
20. The narrator booked his first two acting gigs, including a national TV movie and a digital series.
21. The narrator struggled with loneliness in Los Angeles but eventually made friends.
22. The narrator met his girlfriend, Jes, in 2016, and they got engaged and married.
23. The narrator is now 22 years old and living in Los Angeles with his wife and puppy.