‘One day at a time, expressing positive affirmations’

By Reynaldo Mena

No one can imagine the hell Jesse León went through to write his memoir I’m Not Broken. What is true is that readers will be sure to approach a story that has nothing of fantasy, as Jesse León has lived deeply every second of what he tells in these pages.

There is a movie that mentions a phrase that became famous as soon as it was spoken: “Don’t look for a happy ending, it’s not a Hollywood movie.”

Well, in León’s case, his story has an ending, without saying happy, but positive.

“I wanted to write this story to show people, the community, that there are always options. That we cannot give up, that we can overcome the most distressing situations of our lives,” says the writer and activist residing in San Diego.

‘I’m not Broken’ has caused a stir in the publishing world and is being presented this weekend at the Los Angeles Times Book Festival.

“A sad, brutally honest, and emotionally gritty memoir about “a poor, sexually abused, drug-addicted Chicano kid,” I’m Not Broken is the kind of narrative that vividly brings to the page the realities of someone ignored by the system and trapped by the streets,” NPR’s news site describes it.

León is aware of this, but he is also clear in his purpose.

“While it is an intense story that seeks to show a way out for people, my purpose is for it not to be one of those self-help books. I’m not here to dictate to anyone the path they have to take. What I can share with them is what has happened to me, and the reader will decide if it is convenient to take some parts of this experience or not, it is their decision,” he adds.

León thinks his story has been painful but positive. He managed to overcome a life of addictions, sexual abuse, and helplessness and take it to study at three elite universities in the United States. This Latin writer believes that Latinos face a long list of challenges. Not only being immigrants, language, and culture, but also when they need some kind of support, American society does not offer it to them.

“There are many mental health problems, but we do not have the institutions or specialists to help us through that process. I myself had to face that for a long time. Navigating through the system waiting for the miracle to appear and find that person who could help me,” says León.

León says that despite years of therapy, being clean for over 30 years, writing his book, and being a successful academic, he does not consider himself safe from the path of addiction. “One day at a time. Waking up every morning, expressing positive affirmations, and trying to navigate that day. We can feel like winners,” he concludes.