This morning I spoke with Ralph, a young man who is beginning a 10-year sentence at Taft Prison Camp. Understandably, Ralph is a bit lost as he advances through his first weeks of confinement. He worries that his girlfriend will leave him, he worries how his life will change, he worries about the challenges he will face upon release.
The truth is, I explained to Ralph, by pursuing a deliberate adjustment strategy, I know that he can emerge from prison stronger than he is feeling now. One key to a successful adjustment in prison is to understand that although time is passing, we as prisoners continue on this long journey of life. We do not have to waste our time, as we can use every day to empower ourselves through the pursuit of incremental goals. Those goals must have a relationship to our life’s purpose, and they must have a strategic value. In adding value to our lives, we can transcend imprisonment. I have.
I suggested that Ralph begin keeping a journal. He should document every day of his confinement. In his journal, I urged Ralph to describe more than his feelings of loneliness. Instead, he can critique the manner in which he spent his time. I think we can help ourselves by evaluating whether we spend our time in the most advantageous way possible. Successful prison adjustments do not materialize by accident, I am convinced. We must pursue them with a deliberate strategy, and we must not leave a single hour unaccounted for.
This morning I began working at 3:25. I wrote a lengthy outline for a friend who is about to embark upon a speaking career. At 7:00 I went to the nurse for an allergy pill, then to the track for exercise. I ran 10 miles and followed the run with 250 pushups. Then I interviewed Ralph. In the afternoon I read another several chapters of a book on writing. I am now ready for bed, as it’s 5:30 in the afternoon. This is my strategy for avoiding problems, and for a successful prison adjustment. It’s deliberate. Incidentally, my running tally is now 1,610 miles over the past 183 consecutive days.
Saturday, 13 June 2009
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