It´s very difficult to read this letter, it´s blurred after beeing scanned. Can you please write it again in darker ink or with a thicker paper, exuse my spelling I´m norwegian and not so good in English writing.
I don´t know what to write really, exuse my writing, I´m norwegian so sometimes the spelling is not so good, I just wanted to tell you that your drawings rock, keep on posting them and I will make sure to read all your blog posts :) And also post a comment. Kind Regards "OrphanNorway"
hi,first of all a greeting from Europe,i found out about this site yesterday and tried to see what it was all about. I ve been reading some stories and they surely touches ones heart on behalf of the the victim or the person behind bars,in the end its soo tragic why sometimes we are on the wrong place at the wrong time. I want to say to this Jacob that i read ur story and it was well written and people should take lesson and learn from others mistakes right,thanks for sharing this and let us see some of the inside behind the bars.
You mentioned Central Texas College's "Computer Training Program." I'm curious what kind of computer equipment and services and training are available to you. How far can you take this interest, if you so desire? Can you go in publishing directions, or software programming directions?
The internet is a resource as well as a stage, so to speak. So in addition to expressing your views, which is great for us, you can also ask technical questions, which may help in your studies.
Just an idea. It would be good if blogging was a two-way street of information and help.
There are some things you say in this letter that remind me of my own experiences. Though never incarcerated, I had my share of run-ins with the law as a young man. I was lucky enough to find people who helped me pull out of the situation I was in. Like you, I also thought for many years afterwards that these were the choices I made, bad ones certainly, but that they were things that I did. I refused to see myself as a victim.
With the benefit of a few more years, I can say that yes, I made those bad choices, and yes, I was responsible for the things I did, but the choices I had were also constrained by the situation I found myself in. In one sense, I was the perpetrator of acts that were profoundly negative for myself and others. And at the very same time, because of the situation I found myself in, which was complex, I was not able to see the good choices I could make if I chose to.
Sometimes when we attempt to take responsibility for our past wrongs, we go overboard. This can keep us from truly learning the lessons of our experience, because we do not allow ourselves forgiveness. And if we do not forgive ourselves on some level for our bad actions, then we cannot honestly address the root causes that led to our bad actions in the first place.
I hope you will continue to post on this blog. And I hope that you find greater peace in your self-reflection.
Thank you so much for sharing this story. I have spent the last year learning about the prison system from within, volunteering with a class in a Connecticut CI. Every story I hear touches me, and reminds me of the complexity behind the "good guy/bad guy" stories sensationalized by the media. I think everyone could benefit from hearing stories like yours, and maybe would start to put a human being behind their mental image of prison. We could be in opposite places right now, and I don't want to ever forget that. Stay strong and keep writing. Thank you.
Welcome to the Internet, Olon! You've just joined thousands, probably millions, of people who are writing their thoughts online. Not everyone gets comments or even knows whether people are reading, but sometimes just the writing is enough. Who knows? Perhaps someday, someone will discover your blog afresh, and read through your archives.
That's my hope, when it comes to my blog, anyway. :-)
You wrote, "I don't understand where I went wrong or why and how I always end up in trouble." Don't stop looking for that understanding. Sometimes life seems like a puzzle, with no pieces fitting anywhere, but if we keep looking, eventually we'll find the pattern.
Anyway, keep on blogging... when you blog, you never know what kind of responses you'll get, if any, so brace yourself. *chuckle* Some responses might be insightful, some may be daft. Be ready for anything. :-)
RSS
-OrphanNorway-
Kind Regards "OrphanNorway"
I ve been reading some stories and they surely touches ones heart on behalf of the the victim or the person behind bars,in the end its soo tragic why sometimes we are on the wrong place at the wrong time.
I want to say to this Jacob that i read ur story and it was well written and people should take lesson and learn from others mistakes right,thanks for sharing this and let us see some of the inside behind the bars.
The internet is a resource as well as a stage, so to speak. So in addition to expressing your views, which is great for us, you can also ask technical questions, which may help in your studies.
Just an idea. It would be good if blogging was a two-way street of information and help.
I just wanted to say I really enjoyed reading your very eloquent, articulate and touching blog.
Thank you, and I hope to read more from you in the near future!
With the benefit of a few more years, I can say that yes, I made those bad choices, and yes, I was responsible for the things I did, but the choices I had were also constrained by the situation I found myself in. In one sense, I was the perpetrator of acts that were profoundly negative for myself and others. And at the very same time, because of the situation I found myself in, which was complex, I was not able to see the good choices I could make if I chose to.
Sometimes when we attempt to take responsibility for our past wrongs, we go overboard. This can keep us from truly learning the lessons of our experience, because we do not allow ourselves forgiveness. And if we do not forgive ourselves on some level for our bad actions, then we cannot honestly address the root causes that led to our bad actions in the first place.
I hope you will continue to post on this blog. And I hope that you find greater peace in your self-reflection.
That's my hope, when it comes to my blog, anyway. :-)
You wrote, "I don't understand where I went wrong or why and how I always end up in trouble." Don't stop looking for that understanding. Sometimes life seems like a puzzle, with no pieces fitting anywhere, but if we keep looking, eventually we'll find the pattern.
Anyway, keep on blogging... when you blog, you never know what kind of responses you'll get, if any, so brace yourself. *chuckle* Some responses might be insightful, some may be daft. Be ready for anything. :-)
God bless,
lru