I heard a news report that Nelson Mandela celebrated the anniversary of his release from 27 years of imprisonment this past week. I don’t know how long ago Nelson Mandela was freed but he has been an inspiration to me throughout the decades I’ve served. His contributions to the world convinced me to continue with my efforts to earn freedom. I’ve always known that someday my imprisonment will end, and when it does, I hope to emulate Mr. Mandela in devoting what remains of my life to improving our society in every way that I can.
It must have been listening to that news of Mr. Mandela’s release that inspired the strange dream I had last night. I don’t know why, but in the dream I was flying through space—outer space. My hands were stretched out in front of me, as if preparing to break the water after a dive. While zipping through darkness of space, I saw myself approaching the earth. I could see that I was going to crash through some sort of green floral barrier of branches and trees before I hit the earth’s atmosphere and I thought it strange to encounter the obstruction. My diving stance allowed me to penetrate the barrier without injury, and in an instant, I knew I would be touching down on earth. I maneuvered my body, twisting in the air so my feet would hit first. With a thump, I landed with the soles of my feet on earth; my knees bent to absorb the shock, but I was standing on my own legs.
People in the dream were looking at me, as if I were an oddity. Not knowing where I had landed, I asked whether they spoke English. They said I was in Seattle, which I thought coincidental because that was where I had grown up. Then I said, “Huh. So I landed on my feet.” The next scene of the dream had me approaching a college, looking for Carole, I suppose. That’s when I woke.
All of my dreams have related to prison for as long as I can remember. Now that I’m coming closer to the end of this prison term, I look forward to dreams that will show my return to society. I still don’t know when imprisonment will end for me, but I expect to land on my feet when it does.
Early this morning I wrote a letter to my younger sister, then I went outside for exercise. I ran 10 miles and followed the run with 400 pushups. Later, I spent time in the law library reading numerous cases that interest me. I find the legal research enlightening.
[consecutive running log: 3,810 miles over the past 429 days]
[pushups in 2010: 16,000]
Sunday, 14 February 2010
PDF 
