Introduction:

When it comes to absolutes in life there are distinct moments everyone experiences. I do believe that some aspects of lifes’ journey may be predetermined. Despite the spiritual, environmental, and societal factors having some influence, we are ultimately in control of our own successes and failures stemming from our decisions. Whether or not our choices are calculated or spontaneous, suffice it to say no one in their right mind wakes up one day and dreams of spending their life in prison.

In reality, people from all walks of life can find themselves in a setting such as incarceration. Whomever you are or where ever it is you come from, those are the details that frankly don’t matter. The answers to these questions are completely irrelevant. By no means is anyone exempt from such a potential circumstance. Whether one decides to pursue a life of crime through a series of conscious decisions or alters their life’s course with a momentary lapse of judgment, the outcome yields the same devastating results.

At this point you may be asking yourself, why do I feel the need to share my story, path, and feelings this way? The simple answer, share my experience in the hopes that others struggling with something in society or prison will learn from my journey. If sharing my truth can prevent even one single tragic event from taking place in the future then the effort to reach others was worth it! No matter where we are or what is around us, life will always have difficult painful moments that even the strongest individual can’t face alone without help.

Biologically, what makes human beings unique and separates us from all other living things is how we feel. Sadly, this can serve as both a blessing and a curse. We all have experienced how our mindset can either help or hinder the course of our lives. For many years I struggled with what I can only describe as an overwhelming flood of emotions, thoughts and feelings that I did not know how to handle alone. Expressing and outletting such things in a healthy way is where our struggle tends to happen. I believe my personal journey navigating addiction, anger issues, toxic relationships, and prison life can be a beacon that will instill hope and help for others in society and prison. No matter how cornered and distraught you feel, you have the strength to seek out help, put forth the effort and do the work to accomplish real change in yourself and your circumstances. There is no limitation on what we can rise above and overcome together.