PRISONER EXPRESS

The simple pleasures that most people enjoy and take for granted (I'm guilty of the same) suddenly become painfully clear and missing from our lives when we come to prison. To be able to shower, use the restroom, and take care of other personal matters without being observed and interrupted.

To be able to put on clean clothes without having to worry about what whether we will catch some kind of hungry bug like scarvies or staph. To wear clothes that don't smell like I have been stuffed in someone's gym locker for the past few weeks.

To be able to see the sky without having to look through a little slit in the wall and without the rolls of razor wire and fencing. To breathe in clean air and feel the wind and rain on your face.

To see nature going on all around you. The squirrels playing and foraging for food, the wasps building their nests, the birds raising their chicks.

To hear the sound of children laughing and playing in the distance. Seeing other people going about their daily routines.

And most all, to feel the touch of another human being in kindness, to see a friendly smile and hear warm words of love from family and friends. To be secure in the knowledge that you are loved and cared for. To have someone to share the fears and doubts you have, to help chase them away and tell you that everything will be all right.

Some folks just don't know what they're missing until they've lost it all...the simple pleasures.