Other essays on this theme

Essay: "Second Chance"

I have to believe, for myself, that every man is due a second chance. This is what I most desire. However, I know that many people don't feel this way, and deeper still, many people are not deserving of another shot at anything...

The reality is that I have myself to blame for all my troubles, the years I spent behind bars...but now I am not the same kid I was 20 years ago. Maturity itself is a type of second chance, right? Honestly, when it comes to rapists and molesters even I don't feel any type of sympathy. Should I? Others feel that way about anyone convicted of robbery or murder, but let's look at it all from the other side. Say a young man, 20 years old, commits a robbery, gets caught, and is locked up for 18 years. He is 38 years old! After 18 years of confinement do you think he has the same thought process that he has a 20? It doesn't really matter how you look at it, it is a double-edged sword, because it is possible that he is bitter and angry after all those years, and it is possible that he's scared of the outside world.

Nothing is the same as when he left... From a Texas aspect, he has gained some positive molding. He has been working on a job assignment and is trained to get out of bed at a certain time, so getting up for a job wouldn't be a major adjustment. If he's gained parole he's also learned problem solving and managing his emotions.

Do I think I deserve a second chance? Of course I do! I want so very much to go home.

The thing is, I am willing to earn a second chance, but no one has told me what or how to go about getting that. Nobody seems to ever be able to see me after they've read my file. A file about a young kid that doesn't even exist anymore...

A second chance? Sometimes I wonder if that is only a fantasy...