“Simple plain things”
It’s funny how I enjoy the simple and plain things I come across daily while caged. Funny how I take time today to understand the little things. Plain colors, un-noticed flowers, fences, just to name a few… a few of the plain things.
This morning past, early, I sat alone, on the edge of my bunk with a plain black cup of coffee. Listening to the cheap simple radio I have. Pleased that I live, that I have lived so long, even if caged.
Today I have to lay to rest my plain old gray calculator. To some this may sound off, but it’s plain and simple. I have had this calculator for over 20 years, bought it for a couple of bucks in early 1989. It has traveled to many a different prisons with me over that time. It gave me sums for many years, but today it faded… died. I tried to bring it back to life but no luck. I even had a few others look at it to see if they could fix it. Again, no luck.
So today, think me mad or not, I will bury my little friend. I will wrap it in a small piece of purple cloth, place it in a plastic bag with a note, my final thoughts written, and find a spot in the “yard” to bury it. I am a man, truly believe that I am not mad. I believe that if I can feel for such a simple thing, a calculator, I must have changed. A change that is, shall we say, “plain and simple”.
PS… HELLO goes out to Catherine from Idaho-received word that she reads the blog regularly. Thanks
December 4th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
I started reading this blog 30 months ago. That is the day my son arrived back at Coleman. He has now been incarerated for 4 years. November 22 is the date they took him. Like you George it is a first time offender for a non violent crime. Your blog has done two things for me. It let’s me know that there is hope. Hope that as much as they try the FBOP does not break every man’s spirit. That spirit of humanity. That spirit of Love for fellow humans. I write to my son, talk to him and even write other inmates when he has let me know that they are down. When I write to them, I try for just a moment to bring them out of the cage they are in. I talk about the fall colors, the smell of autumn. What your blog does also is bring me into your world. The world of inhumanity. The world of senselessness confinement. I continue to pray for all federal prisoners, because there is no parole. I had the opportunity to shake your hand while visiting in October, but instead I chose a hug, why? So that you got a chance of a human touch. God Bless you George and prayers go up so that somehow, someway our government will wake up and give you a chance to be out here again. Christine in Iowa