HARLAN RICHARDS

August 29, 2011

There are smiles in prison. I see them all the time. For every person who I meet who is angry, bitter, defiant, I find another who isn't. I cherish chances to learn from those who learned to see the deeper meaning in their lives.

I was watching a volley ball game last night. One guy got angry when his teammate tried to give him some advice. He responded so harshly that the guy walked off the court rather than stay in the game with such an angry, defensive man. He kept up his belligerence and pretty soon, everyone else walked off and left him standing alone on the court. They then started up a friendly game on the next court over which did not include him.

It never occurred to the angry guy that he was the problem. He held onto his anger, spewing threats as he walked away. I felt bad for him but, at the same time, I can see why no one wanted to play with him. There are enough problems in this prison without having to endure pointless animosity during rec and possible a tripe to seg.

I doubt if it was the volley ball game that was the real problem. The guy probably had other issues in his life which were overwhelming him and used the game to lash out. That doesn't make it right, but it puts it into perspective.

We are all at different levels of spiritual evolution. We each grow as our experiences and capabilities permit. The angry young man has not yet taken the time to develop insights into his way of interacting with the world.

Perhaps last night, as he laid in his bunk before falling asleep, he replayed what happened on the volley ball court. Perhaps he let go of his anger just long enough to feel a little foolish for getting so upset over his teammate's comments. Perhaps he took another step along his path toward wisdom.