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hey there hi there
I worked last night and today at the prison. Working with the mentally ill/severely mentally ill population, I was surprised and happy that they were all “ok” with the holidays, not the level of sadness that I expected. I went around for the last few weeks in my red and green clothes, and my candy striped Chuck Taylor all-stars, singing Christmas music…. (I kept waiting for someone to say, “Shannon, we are already being punished, please don't sing” but they didn't. on the other hand, when I said, “everybody sing!” no one did….)
Of course, the prison would not allow me to bring anything in, not a cookie or piece of candy or walnut! so, all i had to give was my smile and “how ya doin'?”
I do “have” a couple of offenders who are in touch with the prison dharma network, and others. One is copying the lotus sutra by hand out of a library book! Some of them get that they have a perfect time and place to change. An offender landed in my unit the other day from another where he'd assualted his cellie………. anyway, he's been incarcerated for awhile and has 20-to life to go. He was telling me about all of his problems outside, and he said, “so by coming to prison, I'm finally free.”
I would love to see this pod blossom some, I feel like I need all the support that I can get to go back and face the negativity, craziness, violence, unhappiness, disrespect and abuse. And that's the officers! (i wish i were kidding)
~peace
Shannon
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