California Potter Talks Art of Survival, Survival Through Art
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BEAUMONT, Calif.—Rich Lopez almost died twice before he started truly living. “The first time I tried to end my life, I was driving on the freeway. I jumped lanes into oncoming traffic. A huge semi was coming right at me. At the last second, I swerved and ended up in a ditch,” he said while sitting in his home in Beaumont, California. Lopez grew up in an abusive household, with a brother he says used him as a punching bag and a father who was scarred by World War II. “The school bus driver got tired of seeing me so badly beaten up by my dad and my brother—sometimes both—so he taught me how to box. “I used to thank God for him every day. I had to learn to fight to be able to beat up my own brother … and learn to survive.” Lopez said he wasn’t good …