This is a very eloquent and intelligently written story here. Unfortunately it is a story that is repeated over and over again all over the world. I think eventually people will come to their senses, society can't afford to keep cannibalizing it's own youth and box them away forever. Until then stay strong and smart Opollo and take care of yourself.
Hey Doug, it's too bad you ended up getting railroaded like you did, I know a lot of people that have actually done way worse stuff than what you got accused of doing and got off cause they were rich or knew the right people. But it sounds like you are staying positive and making the best of your situation. It's a sick broken system though, so I don't blame you for breaking out, I would have done the same thing in your place.
It sounds like you've led a crazy life I wouldn't mind hearing more about it or prison life or anything else you wanna talk about. Also, there's a lot of people reading these blogs but only a few leave comments so don't feel bad if you don't get a lot of feedback at first.
You seem like a thoroughly interesting person, or at least, a person with a good taste in music. Red Hot Chili Peppers kick ass, and the Fray ... brilliant. Saw em live in Sydney last year, and they definitely don't dissapoint.
I'm not much of a chess player, though not for the lack of trying. I think the problem with my game is that I seldom play aggressively. I guess it's a case of "You'll lose every fight you run away from" ... not bold enough to make the moves that count when they count. I've had a fair bit of fun just screwing around with different ways to play though. A friend and I got an idea off the internet to superglue down the pieces onto a cheap chessboard and smuggle it onto a roller coaster. The on-ride photo missed the board and it turned out as a colossal waste of time and money, but there you have it.
I'm also fairly keen on maths and science, and I hope that even though you've been in prison since 16/17 that you've managed to keep your interest alive. I've always thought about how prison would actually be like. Does being incarcerated give you the time, resources and drive to actually do something? Or does it just grind away at you over time? Can you get a high school equivalent or some something along those lines while you're in there? Must be hard to maintain any motivation to work hard at something if you're stuck somewhere 24/7, and if you have, congratulations. If not, ah well, you're probably better off than half the people our age anyway. I keep seeing news reports of all the unemployment in America at the moment ... it's pretty f***ed up to think that regardless of how hard you try, there just aren't any jobs out there.
Thank you for the poetry, I really enjoyed "Reflections". "Because of You" is filled with some good advice I needed to hear right now as well. Much appreciated, keep writing!
I'll have to see Legends of the Fall, too, and not just because Brad Pitt is in it. =) It's got some beautiful music.
Take care, looking forward to hearing more about your life.
I found this post to be very interesting. Just a quick comment on the tax saving issue. I actually have no problem with our tax being spent to provide proper -- I hope -- health care for inmates.
You mentioned that they should place you "in a care facility that is humane and economically sound." I'd like to hear more about pros and cons of your current care facility, if possible.
who knew all you needed was a blog for outlet...lol! i am learning so much more about your life and what you encounter on a daily basis...well said big brother...well said :)
Thank you for writing. I'm glad you did. I'm curious what you think of rehabilitation in the Ohio prison system. Is prison set up for you to succeed in the long run, or is it a type of college for criminals?
It's interesting that you say prison becomes 'normal' to someone who has been locked up for a number of years. Do you remember, or how would you describe who you were before being incarcerated...over time did you notice a change? How does the outside world look to you?
Can't imagine what holiday's are like in Luke but I hope you had a good Thanksgiving ;)
RSS
~ashley~
It sounds like you've led a crazy life I wouldn't mind hearing more about it or prison life or anything else you wanna talk about. Also, there's a lot of people reading these blogs but only a few leave comments so don't feel bad if you don't get a lot of feedback at first.
You seem like a thoroughly interesting person, or at least, a person with a good taste in music. Red Hot Chili Peppers kick ass, and the Fray ... brilliant. Saw em live in Sydney last year, and they definitely don't dissapoint.
I'm not much of a chess player, though not for the lack of trying. I think the problem with my game is that I seldom play aggressively. I guess it's a case of "You'll lose every fight you run away from" ... not bold enough to make the moves that count when they count. I've had a fair bit of fun just screwing around with different ways to play though. A friend and I got an idea off the internet to superglue down the pieces onto a cheap chessboard and smuggle it onto a roller coaster. The on-ride photo missed the board and it turned out as a colossal waste of time and money, but there you have it.
I'm also fairly keen on maths and science, and I hope that even though you've been in prison since 16/17 that you've managed to keep your interest alive. I've always thought about how prison would actually be like. Does being incarcerated give you the time, resources and drive to actually do something? Or does it just grind away at you over time? Can you get a high school equivalent or some something along those lines while you're in there? Must be hard to maintain any motivation to work hard at something if you're stuck somewhere 24/7, and if you have, congratulations. If not, ah well, you're probably better off than half the people our age anyway. I keep seeing news reports of all the unemployment in America at the moment ... it's pretty f***ed up to think that regardless of how hard you try, there just aren't any jobs out there.
Anyways, enough rambling. Enjoy life;
-Alex
I'll have to see Legends of the Fall, too, and not just because Brad Pitt is in it. =) It's got some beautiful music.
Take care, looking forward to hearing more about your life.
You mentioned that they should place you "in a care facility that is humane and economically sound." I'd like to hear more about pros and cons of your current care facility, if possible.
Thanks for writing on this topic.
Thank you for writing. I'm glad you did. I'm curious what you think of rehabilitation in the Ohio prison system. Is prison set up for you to succeed in the long run, or is it a type of college for criminals?
It's interesting that you say prison becomes 'normal' to someone who has been locked up for a number of years. Do you remember, or how would you describe who you were before being incarcerated...over time did you notice a change? How does the outside world look to you?
Can't imagine what holiday's are like in Luke but I hope you had a good Thanksgiving ;)
NB