Myself in the Process

However, since I chose to follow the path of self-discovery, I've developed a new set of skills designed to decrease my probability that this unwanted behavior will worsen, resulting in thoughts, actions, or behaviors that may lead me to unhealthy, harmful, or criminal activities.

On that note, I was invited to participate in a filmed documentary back in 2011 titled "Unlikely Friends" by Chance Films. It is a story of forgiveness and it documents the events of tragic, life-altering crimes upon people in society and how some victims overcame the grief, pain, and suffering of these events through forgiveness. I was part of a facilitated dialogue with a woman named Rhoda whose son was senselessly killed by his roommate. This dialogue was with other men here at San Quentin who had committed the crime of murder.

As I sat with the other men and listened to her story, I felt the impact of that crime on her and how it has had a permanent effect on her life. How the murder of her son caused her to experience a great sense of loss, of being violated, betrayed, and so helpless. Rhoda tried to contact the man who killed her son to seek answers. However, he was unwilling and emotionally unintelligent, and would not speak with her. So she came to San Quentin to share her story with us.

I must admit, in hearing her story, it brought tears to my eyes. But more importantly, it caused me to feel empathy towards another person. I began to think about the victims of my crime and how my actions, when I robbed them, may have possibly affected their lives. I mean, even though I did not commit an act of murder, I still took something away from these people that was more than just money. I may have stolen their rights to grow and their feeling of being "safe and secure", or to move about in the world, their neighborhood, their school, their job without the far that "some black man" may harm them. I don't really know because our current criminal justice system will not allow me to contact them in order to apologize to them for my actions.

So I make amends in different ways. Today, I try very hard to forgive others, as I seek forgiveness from my other victims: my son and daughter, my siblings, and my other extended family members. I acknowledge the real transformation that I've made as a human being and the genuine progress I have accomplished as far as my current way of thinking, feeling, understanding, and behaving.

It has taken me a long time in becoming the person that I want to be. How long will it take you? It starts with forgiveness...

To see this documentary, visit the following:
www.unlikelyfriendsforgive.com
@ Facebook/UnlikelyFriendsForgive
Twitter @ufforgive
https://vimeo.com/user11338051

Please send me your comments. Until next time.

Peace,
Zakee