PRISONER EXPRESS

All my life I have been on the edge, or close to the edge. As a teen, in Nam, and novo in prison. I was always on the edge about the clothes I wore to school. From my home cut hair, my big overalls, and brogans. I'm Nam; I was always on the edge because of the one in front of me or the one behind me. Knowing that they were high every time you went out on patrol. Now in prison it's those around me, those with AIDS. Are they going to start a fight and splash me with their blood? Are the ones with Hepatitis C going to spit on me or use my cup when I sit it down? Are those with mental problems going to go off if I answer their question in a way that they can't understand? Are the ones without common sense going to bananas when I explain something to them? For example, please don't stand in the doorway people have to use it.

But now thing are slowly changing. With help from my reading and meditation it is easier to cope with being on the edge. At my age, I am almost over the edge. It no longer frightens me. I have some say, "Boy I sure wish I could start over". I don't. I am not happy with some of the result. But I made my choice and I had to live with them.

The next big event in my life is death. But death is not an isolated event but just another change in a never-ending cycle. Death is just a potent reminder to use life well.

So we shouldn't worry about being on the edge, over the edge, or at the edge, no matter what each of them means to each individual. We should think about what we have done to not only jeep ourselves from being on the edge over, over the edge, or at the edge, but what have we done to keep others from reaching the edge.