PRISONER EXPRESS

Oh wait. This says strength. Oh well, it's the same thing. What goes for line making applies to life as well. Let me explain-though I'm sure you know basic line spinning.

First, you need string, but it does not have to be strong. Basically any string that is not rotten will work just fine. A thin place is like lack of confidence or ignorance. But rotten string is like prejudice, discrimination, preconceptions, allowing others to dictate our thinking, or going along with the gang for acceptance. Rotten string will break right when you need it to be strong. Throw it out and start again.

I can look around and see a half dozen sources of string. The thing is, this is semi-privileged convict information. Convicts have all sorts of survival secrets. It would be nice to write a book on such things. However, once this information is blabbed-by someone wanting to seem convict intelligent- then we find ourselves (plural to be noted) doing with these useable items or a redesign takes place. Sometimes this is an improvement. I can't wait till we get transparent clothing. If you are good someone will clue you into a source of string-for a price-until you start developing convision. This is like the psychic saying "So what do you think the problem is? And what do you think is a good solution?"

2nd (ain't this fun!) A knot will weaken a string and the line. The less knots the stronger your string will be. So the less knots the better; however, don't worry too much over a few knots in your string. When the line is spun you will hardly notice a little knot. It's better to have a few little knots in your string than a big one in your line, or life.

A knot is the equivalent of a mistake, a bad day, a wrongful thought, a slip of the tongue. Once it is done you must fix it best you can and go on. Try not to keep repeating yourself. If you have a lot of knots you might want to check the source. It may be rotten. Throw it out and start over. But a knot is a little thing-in a string. I once got a 73 on a paper and I thought I had really messed up. There were six papers in all-73,93,98 and 3 100's. This made my grade a 94 for the six weeks. Not a bad grade as long as I didn't repeat it.

3rd, the most important part is multiple strands of string. One big fat string will not do. I like to take 6 strands-no more than 8-and give that one hundred turns per every 12 foot. Once folded and allowed to spin back on itself you will have a 12 strand line that will easily haul a quart of hooch to 3 row.

A single strand of string is like any part of something: one mental or physical characteristic, one subject in school, one member of a team. One baseball player against nine? One basketball player against five? One football player against...well that's stupid. One strand or team member may be stronger or weaker in areas, but they all strengthen each other. It takes all the members to make a team.

4th and final, testing your new line. I have a simple strength test for line. Wind it around your cellie and his bunk in the middle of the night. If he sleeps nude, carefully remove the sheet and you will find plenty of places to tie the ends. Fingers and toes work as well; however, we might as well test the strength of celliehood while we are at it.

Warning: he will get loose, no matter how strong the line and he will kick your ass, no matter how tight the bond of cellieship. Please send me all the details-I have no cellie of my own.

Let me leave you with one other source of string-ah, strength. I am a very small person and my nose is about the height of the average arm pit. Not all sources of strength are good.

Extra Note: I knew as a boy my life was a mess when one day mom took me by the ear into dad's study. "I caught him mowing the lawn in his sister's panties," she reported. "So young man," said dear old dad "Just how did you know your sister had a lawn in her panties?!?"