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Youngstown man shares story of troubled youth in effort to end bullying Transcending ‘Twitch’
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
YOUNGSTOWN
Joseph Pompili’s life as a youth and young man was turbulent.
The East Side native bounced from house to house, enduring a prison stint and a period of homelessness,
Fights, arrests, drug and alcohol abuse, recklessness and all types of legal problems were the norm.
On the surface, his dysfunctional family was the main reason.
But the real cause was the confusion and pain in his heart that were the product of the unexplained muscle twitches and throat noises he made. It was undiagnosed Tourette syndrome. But the resulting mockery from classmates – and disdain from his mother – led to a hardened life on the streets.
Although the tough exterior was a defense mechanism, it brought him no peace.
It wasn’t until he was in his mid-20s that Pompili came to terms with his life. He married at age 26 and was finally diagnosed with Tourette syndrome at age 27. These two events brought him a level of self-understanding that he had never known before.
“It was a great relief [to be diagnosed],” he said. “You are a freak for your whole life and nobody knows what is wrong with you.” His life drastically improved after his marriage and subsequent diagnosis, and he would go on to raise a family and start his own successful home insulation company.
Pompili tells his story in his memoir, as written by his wife of 35 years, Diane. Titled “Twitch,” the self-published book, seven years in the making, was released last month. It is raw, violent and unflinchingly honest, but ultimately transcendent.
Both he and Diane will sell and sign copies of “Twitch” from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday in the main concourse of Southern Park Mall in Boardman. The event is sponsored by Bradley’s Book Outlet in the mall.
Telling his hardscrabble life’s story was cathartic for Pompili, but it wasn’t the main reason for writing the book. His overriding goal is to help young people who are going through the same thing – being bullied and ridiculed and feeling hopeless.
It’s a problem that is every bit as prevalent today as it was in the 1960s and ’70s, when he was growing up. Although his book is not suitable for younger readers because of its language and content, Pompili, now 61, hopes to use it as a springboard for this cause. He wants to talk to students, groups, organizations – anyplace where he can reach a youngster and let them know that everything will turn out OK some day.
“Mine was a life misled,” he said. “I did what I did because of what [the mistreatment] did to me. The bullying destroys your self-worth, self-esteem. And it’s doing this to kids nowadays, too.
“When people say to a bullied child, ‘Toughen up, get a thicker skin, stand up for yourself,’ they are missing the boat. If I could do those things, I wouldn’t need to be coming to you. They are just kicking the can down the road. All of these school shootings are a direct result of kids being pushed to their limit. This is what’s happening. If anybody had an excuse to do it, it was me. I didn’t. But that is the hot-button issue.”
Pompili said his goal is to do public speaking on the subject. To contact him, call 330-398-1315 or 330-757-3958 or email pompdogs@gmail.com.
“I want to raise awareness of the bullying situation,” he said. “I’m available, and I know what I’m talking about it. I lived it. Maybe I could save one child’s life.”
The book can be purchased at Bradley’s Book Outlet in Southern Park Mall, Leana’s Books in Shenango Valley Mall, and online at amazon.com. For information about “Twitch,” go to mytwitchbook.com or the TWITCH page on Facebook.