July 3, 2014

Dear ladies,

I don't know why for sure, but for some reason, you've been the only thing on my mind as of late. Why you ask? Maybe it's because after doing six plus years in a maximum security prison with nothing but men, I yearn to share who I am with you. Or maybe it's the fact that last week I met and had a conversation with a woman who acknowledged my humanity. She was able to see pass the bold capital letters of OFFENDER that dominates my ID. She treated me with a kind of warmth and gentleness that caught me off guard. And I found myself letting my guard down, something i hadn't prepared for.

I mean, don't get me wrong, many women have smiled at me and some have even gone so far as to slip me a few words when I needed them the most. But there was something about this encounter that differed from all of the others. It was real (not that all the others weren't). I once heard Kathie Lee and Hoda say on their show that, "I used to cry from cruelty, but since it became so prevalent, the only things that brings tears to my eyes are acts of kindness." I remember hearing this and feeling like something had just gone over my head. Like I had just missed the big play of the game. But after my chance encounter with this ray of sunshine in this dark and gloomy place, I can say now that I get it.

As far as the MAN_CODE goes, I'm about to break every rule when I say this. But after speaking with her, I actually went back to my cell and cried. Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. But for those of you who are used to being ridiculed and spoken to as if you're a third human, then you know exactly how I felt when this beautiful soul gracefully entered and changed my life. And though we could never truly be friends without putting her career at risk, her presence made me realize that something extraordinary was missing from my life.

You're wondering what that something is, right? To get right to the point, it's you! Yes, I did say YOU! who may be reading this page out of sheer curiosity, though I hope you don't end there.

Three years ago, I had the honor and privilege of working with a group of brothers and one sister who got me to see the error in my ways. Since then, I've put in years of work. But it was my encounter with this cool woman that got me to notice that I had been neglecting that side of me that needs to interact with species of the opposite sex (species, Mike, really?). Seriously though, I'm at a point in my life where I want to share with someone about the man that I've become. Hopefully, it's a woman who isn't afraid to be herself to a complete stranger. Though I'm looking for a friend, I am not going to shut the door on a friendship blossoming into something more serious. I must be honest and say that I'm not the kind of man who will ever ask a woman to put her life on hold until I'm free from my manacles. That's just not who I am. The most important thing I'm looking for is a friend, someone who is honest.

If there are any ladies out there looking to befriend someone smart, kind, and big-hearted, then don't be a stranger. I know what I bring to this newfound friendship; the question is are you willing to do the unthinkable and cross the lines of what many consider taboo? I have no clue as to how your current friendships are working, but I'm sure one more can't hurt. Who knows? This has the chance of evolving into the kind of friendship you've always imagined.

Well, happy 4th to all! You're A Day In the Life with me,
Michael McThune