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Author Wes Moore expresses the theme of how choices one makes can affect them and their future.  This is shown by how their lives were affected in both his story and another man named Wes Moore's life.

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Whatever one does in their life has a consequence no matter how small. This is also referred as the butterfly effect or the ripple effect. Any choice you make is a ripple such as when the other Wes choose to keep lying to his brother about where he obtained the money. The other Wes was pleading," I told you, man, I made this money DJing!" he repeated, almost convincing himself it was the truth" (70).  Wes knew he was lying and was breaking rules his brother had set, but he still chose to lie.

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All people choose to do things everyday of their lives.  Other Wes had a choice when a suspicious man came to him looking for drugs.  His hands were clean and his vernacular was different from the other addicts he sold to.  He made the decision to still sell to him after greed had over taken him.  This lead to another arrest on his record.  Other Wes thought," It was a risk, and Wes knew it. But taking risk is at the heart of the drug enterprise, and scared money doesn't make money" (113).

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In the chapter Lost, Other Wes's mother watched as his son was taken away from her in more ways than one.  Wes had just shot at a man and the police came to arrest him.  As he was being herded into the cop car, he tried to say sorry to his mother, but it was in vain because she knew he can't be her little boy anymore.  His mother stared at him, her face drained of emotion. "It's too late," she told Tony.  "Wes is already gone" (107).

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Author Wes's mother was always there for him. She pushed him to become the man he is by making him go to military school. When Wes was having a hard time at the school she encouraged him and opened his eyes which gave him a second wind to keep the choice his mom made for him to better himself alive. His mother whispered to him through the phone," I love you, and I'm proud of you.  And Wes, it's time to stop running" (96).

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Author Wes would not be the man he was if it weren't for his mother and his commitment to her will for him to stay in military school. After his talk with his mother, right after he was caught running away, she told him that she loved him and supported him. He honored his mother and grandparents sacrifice to stay in the school.  This then turned him into a platoon sergeant and was well liked.  "I was now a platoon sergeant, a cadet master sergeant, and the youngest senior noncommissioned officer in the entire corps" (115).