I haven't had a whole heck of a lot of anything to write/talk about here in, oh, probably a month or so. My life is not very exciting. I know, most folks don't have especially exciting lives and that's okay. But it makes for a difficult time when you're trying to write something for a blog.
But things picked up today. I was watching the local noon news, sort of half paying attention. I mean, how much disaster can you handle at only twelve noon? And I heard a voice that I recognized. And no, it wasn't the reporter (smile).
I looked up at the screen and there was a man I knew from prison. And he wasn't on TV because he'd committed any new crime(s).
It was a news story about a church in the city of Detroit that experienced it's third break-in. Well, fourth if you count that the thieves that had robbed the church the night before had came back in the morning to steal the speaker they'd forgotten.
The voice I recognized, the man I knew, was a deacon at that church. It had been years since I'd seen him. The last time being when he was in solitary confinement and had to come out for our visit in shackles and handcuffs. That's how they do it in Michigan prisons, it wasn't a special look designed just for him.
I knew he'd been released some years ago and I wasn't surprised that he hadn't kept in touch with me. I think it's always a good sign when parolees/released prisoners don't get with me. That means their life is going okay, or at least okay enough that they don't need my help.
And apparently he's doing well. He's still a free man. He was reasonably well dressed, had some weight on him so that meant he was eating, and he was coherent with his speech. Plus, he was a church deacon.
He counts as a bona fide success story!
I can't take any credit for his success. He did it all on his own, or with the help of folks he met once he was released.
The only thing I did was reinforce the belief that if a prisoner receives x-number of visits while they're incarcerated they have a much better chance of succeeding upon release. I visited this man once a month for several years and kept up a steady letter writing exchange with him for more years than that.
I know not everyone is cut out to be a prison visitor or even pen pals with a prisoner. But if you can handle it, well, it can make all the difference in the world for someone locked up.
But let me wind it up here before I get all preachy about prisoners. It did my heart good to see this man on TV this morning. It was like a breath of fresh air on a hot, muggy day.
Be good and be careful, take care, stay strong.
Hugs, Tawny
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