Lessons from prison

     My years working in prison have taught me a few things.
     I learned to appreciate my freedom. I hope I never forget the inmate that told me that he just wanted to be able to walk in a straight line, forever. Or the inmate who was being shipped out of state that claimed that he was seeing the world on the installment plan. Somedays just walking outside and going through those double gates, means the day is behind you. It is time to move on. I get to choose what my day consists of, even if the day is totally crappy it was my choice to make.
      It's okay to trust your instincts. Your brain feeds off of a myriad of input. Just because you didn't recognize the problem doesn't mean it isn't a problem.
    It's okay to have a twisted sense of humor. Sometimes you have to look hard to laugh, but it can be more important to be able just to laugh.
     The phrase I learned is "all of my buttons are broke." It means that you can't get a reaction from me no matter what you do. Other people don't deserve the ability to control your emotions.
    "Do your own time." We all have problems but worrying about your own is enough without taking on other peoples problems. My thought is to remember what my "sphere of control" is. Why worry about things that you can't change? I think this is the hardest thing for humans to accept.
     I have learned that listening, politeness, and respect can take you much further in solving problems then you can imagine.
    I have learned ugliness can look beautiful, but not to discount ugliness because it is ugly.
   I have learned much in my eight years working in prison. I could have probably learned these things anywhere, but I wonder if I would have listened as well.