Goodbye King Harold
Around 7:30am a huge crowd gathered at the front door to watch King Harold take her steps into the free world. Even though I have seen so many leave at this point, I still get emotional every time. There was a lady standing near me who looked at me and stated, "I can't wait for my time to come." I replied, "we will all have our day." And that is so true. For me, that day will be sooner rather than later.
Julie Chrisley Has Arrived At FMC Lexington!
After coming out of my class, word spread that Julie Chrisley had arrived and was in R&D (Receiving & Discharge). The counselors here had already assigned her to a room; an 8-man room that we call the Devil's Den. That room earned the name rightfully because in the summer it is blazing hot. Like myself, this will be a drastic change from the comfortable life Chrisley is used to living.
Unquestionably Free
On Sunday mornings at 9 am I have a standing date with El Chapo, LOL. "El Chapo" is no nonsense, Hispanic, workout junkie from Texas, who I used to work out with. She also happens to be another one of the tutors in the education department with me and she is also my work wife's bunkie. She and I meet on Sunday mornings for church - Joel Osteen on Lifetime.
Julie Chrisley Coming to Atwood?
I received word that Julie Chrisley is supposed to report here to FMC Lexington on Tuesday. This will make for an eventful week. It will definitely give me a lot to blog about because I am sure things will get interesting with a reality show celebrity here.
Parenting in Separation
My concern about my credit update was overshadowed by my conversation with my daughters regarding Ness. The principal requested a meeting to discuss what was going on with our family and Ness. He mentioned that he had seen a change in her behavior; she was more aggressive.
The Land of Oz
In the middle of electrical class, the sound of a train began to penetrate the bottom floor of the 1930 building we are housed in. The whistle echoed as if the wind was singing a melodic song the tune of the dark, cloudy Kentucky sky. Our instructor urged us to move to the interior room after the windows were forcibly opened by the pounding gusts of wind. We were informed that a tornado warning had been issued for the area.
Little Miss Mismatch
Want to talk about a rough start to my day? LOL! First I woke up and thought it was Saturday. What does this mean? I did not put on my uniform, instead, I walked into the chow hall with my greys on and got yelled at. Good thing I keep in mind what my work wife told me…embarrassment is a choice.
Let The Games Begin
Oh, what a glorious day! The credits are finally coming in. Around 9 am this morning, while in electrical class, I learned that the first set of immediate releases had been announced. I ran inside to call my friend to check the dates for myself and my friends.
Any Given Monday
As I sat in church, AKA the TV room, watching Joel Osteen, I could see officers combing the area around the track near the camp. Later it was revealed that a man was found on campus, passed out with drugs and meth on him. He either wandered off or was in the middle of a drop. Who knows, but he picked the wrong place to pass out, LOL.
A Kid on Christmas Eve
I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve. I am so excited! Tomorrow, I will stand in the middle of history. I just want to be a part of the energy. I want to bear witness to the tears, the joy, the anxiety, all of it. In the years to come this will be the topic of a lot of theses and dissertations, argued in numerous courtrooms, and written in school books. But most importantly, and the part that brings me to tears, there will be a lot of kids receiving tight hugs this week.
Peaceful Saturday
One of my friends asked me yesterday what my plans were when I leave. While I think I know, there are parts of me that know and other parts that are unsure and afraid. But fear is overrated, and even if I do feel the fear I am going to do it anyway.
TGIF
Today, I sat back and thought about how I am coping and what that looks like for me. I realized that I have coped by staying busy. I have taken so many classes, taught a lot of classes, and filled my days with reading and writing. I am setting the intention to slow down and really be with myself more. So tonight I snuck off, alone, to the GED classroom to journal and read. It took a lot for me to stay present and not rush through the process because I knew that people were probably wondering where I was.
Who Robbed The Library?
My work wife lost her brother today. She is taking it pretty well considering the circumstances. That has been my biggest fear, losing someone while incarcerated. When I hear stories about people who have lost parents, spouses, kids, etc. my heart goes out to them. I pray daily for my family's safety and health.
YES!
I scrolled a little and then landed on a song I heard when I was IVISD (Inner Visions Institute of Spiritual Development), "Yes" by Shekinah Glory Ministries. I listened to that song a lot before I came in. There is a line in the song that says, "If I told you what I really need, would your heart and soul say yes? There is more that I require of thee, would your heart and soul say yes?"
New Year’s Resolutions
I believe in doing everything in excellence, even prison. The Bible says, "be faithful over the small things and he will make you a ruler over many." Therefore, if I take care of, beautify, clean, and make the best of my little 80 square foot prison room I will be given an 8000 square foot, or more, home. I believe that wholeheartedly, and therefore my room renovation project shall continue.
New Year! New Mind!
To kick off the new year I am going on a diet and probably not the kind you are thinking. Years ago when I attended Inner Visions Institute of Spiritual Development we completed a diet during the month of Jan. This wasn't a diet for your body that people typically partake in around the new year, this was a different type of diet. The 30-Day Mental Diet by Willis Kinnear.
For the next 30 days, I will partake in this diet and journal it here. This is not just a means of continuing to document another layer of my prison journey, but also to hold me accountable. So join me, take out your pen and paper and follow along.
NYE with Gayle
I began to think about what "doing the work" would look like for me while I am incarcerated. I contemplated asking my family to send a book. I thought about going to see a psychologist. Then I read in the book where Oprah said Gayle was her therapist and she was hers. I prayed, "God, send me a Gayle in here to support me doing the work." God responded, "I already did; your work wife." I got up, went to her room, and with tears in my eyes I asked her to be "my Gayle."
Kentucky Fried Chicken
But the highlight of the day was the fried chicken they served at lunch. I know that this might not seem like much, but let me tell you. This new Tyson chicken, aka KFC, they served up today was the talk of the camp.
In Between Holiday
There is the period of time between Christmas and New Years that is - blah. No one is really working, the high of Christmas is over, things have slowed down, and people are resting. But, there is this anticipation of the New Year that is right around the corner which means it is time to recalibrate is kick it into high gear. It is this "In Between Holiday" that has no official name, but is quite familiar.
Let There Be Heat
Upon completing my morning workout, I returned to my room to take a bath only to discover that there was no hot water. When I attempted to put my lunch, a pizza pocket that I made - yeah me! - on the oven (radiator), I noticed that there was no heat. This was shortly after 10 am. I quickly found out that the problem would be anticipated to persist until at least 3 pm. 3 pm turned into 4 pm. 4 pm turned into, "no one knows.”