Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Today I had a conversation with a guy who became a friend of mine during my imprisonment. We were confined in the same institution during the late 1990s. As I did, my friend served longer than 20 years. He recently concluded his prison term and he told me about the challenges that he is facing. He concluded his time in the halfway house a few weeks ago and now he is on home confinement. Unfortunately, he has not been successful in finding steady employment that pays a livable wage. I hear from many people who served lengthy prison terms and were quite successful by prison standards. Yet after they return to society, they find it extremely difficult to succeed. I am saddened by such news. Certainly, I know that transitioning into society after decades in prison presents obstacles. In retrospect, I realize how fortunate I’ve been. The hardest challenge I faced was learning how to drive, or leaning how to eat with metal silverware as opposed to plastic. When I listen to the much more significant challenges that friends of mine face, I thank God for the incredible blessings that I received. I’m hopeful that others who read my work realize the importance of preparation. The more an individual prepares while inside, the more seamlessly that individual can transition into society. In time, I hope to develop more resources so that I can teach more people the strategies for preparation that worked so well for me.

 

Days since my release from prison: 449

Miles that I ran today: 12

Miles that I ran so far this week: 38.1

Miles that I’ve run during the month of November: 38.1

Miles that I ran so far in 2014: 2,088.24

Miles that I need to run in order to reach my annual goal of 2,400 miles: 311.76

Miles I’m ahead of schedule to reach my 2,400-mile goal by the end of 2014: 58.11

My weight for today: 168