86 day’s left
Blog Entry 38
March 30, 2015
Number one rule of prison, “Don’t get too comfortable.” (See blog 12 May 4, 2014)
Number two, and I’m sure your mother or father told you this while growing up, “Treat others as you would want to be treated.”
In prison you hear the word “respect” all too much; and applied to anything you can imagine. With the overuse of the word in prison there is not really a clear definition as to what it really means. Many of these men have a different interpretation as to what “respect” means, depending on if they’re on the receiving end or the giving end.
For example, while standing in line waiting to turn in my list at commissary, I watched at least three people cut in line with their friends and think nothing of it. If they were on the other end, would they not feel disrespected? Of course they would. But because they were not on the receiving end they completely ignored their own values.
All too often in life we seem to forget all about our values in pursuit of some form of self-gratification. This temporary lapse is what got all of us here into prison, with a few exceptions. (Obviously, I haven’t been a choir boy my whole life. I am writing from prison!)
I’ve always considered myself a very respectful person and something I’ve always prided myself on. I often put others needs ahead of my own, which is not always a bad thing, but I have to learn to be more respectful to myself sometimes.
Another thing I’ve learned while in prison is to constantly show others respect whether or not they show it to me. Maybe by me showing them the same respect I would like to receive they will eventually figure it out. And if not, it is their loss, not mine.
I can feel good knowing that I stuck to my values no matter the circumstances. Maybe if we all try and show a little respect to others we encounter, we can “infect” the rest of society.
