ORIENTATION

Arguably, no other experience is as conducive to so many different life paths as prison. Many of us leave here with the same or worse goals and attitudes with which we came in; get money, f**k you. We may spend years and years locked up and never make any genuine attempt to change. Nevertheless, many of us do catch on to reality at some point and focus on maturing, on returning to freedom reborn. Unfortunately, the evolutions of spirit and moral reformations that we undergo while incarcerated are the easy part. The game begins upon release.

It's sad how quickly many of us forget the experience of prison, even those of us who have done some serious time. We soon discover that we're unprepared for the temptation and slow pace of a law-abiding life. Then before long we're scheming and risking our freedom and lives and dragging our loved ones through the glass shards infested sewage of our re-incarceration. And for what, a feeling that may last a couple of hours, tops? Money that will hardly last a month, if that, and could have been earned legally and safely?

Our focus after release is either longevity or nothing because there is no point in getting out if we aren't going to stay out. But we all need motivation and assistance, which is the purpose of this blog. Because I have the opportunity and ability, I feel obligated to keep those of us released recently, or even long ago yet struggling to stay on the right path, conscious of the pain of imprisonment and the promises we made to never return. Essentially, however, I hope to reach anyone who can benefit from my insight and experience. No matter how difficult things get we always, ALWAYS have the power to make the right choice. Life may often make us liars, but only we make ourselves failures.

In order to increase the effectiveness of my efforts, please give a comment with your opinion and thoughts about this blog, or any entry. Ultimately, I hope to see the creation of a website or websites where the felon community can reach out for help from or to help each other in whatever constructive way(s) we can.