Another holiday in prison! Typically, I would be venturing out on a boat in DC to catch the fireworks from the water with the Lincoln Memorial, Capitol, and Washington Monument in the backdrop. I look forward to having new adventures. I was able to see the tops of fireworks from Morgantown on Saturday. Some guys had commented that they hadn’t seen fireworks in years since they had been locked up in other facilities. I hope this is never the case for me. Fireworks represent freedom and love of this country. It is a time to celebrate our country. Family traditions and those simple cookouts are very much missed, especially now that I have more time to reflect on these holidays and just enjoying the time with loved ones. I hope you and your families had a wonderful 4th of July weekend.
The weather has remained beautiful with the exception of a few thunderstorms. As fast as the storms roll in, they pass. Since it was a holiday weekend, our recreation department arranged two pickleball tournaments. The first tournament was pick your own teams and the second was random partners. In both tournaments of 10 teams, I took third. Not the best, but always improving and learning how to play well with others 🙂 My game is slowly improving – still trying to figure out backhands.
For the 4th of July, we had a wonderful lunch: cookout-style. Where to begin!? Fire-grilled BBQ chicken quarters and small beef patty (make your own hamburger) with sweet corn, green beans, baked beans, potato salad, chili macaroni, an ice cream sandwich, and two soft-baked sugar cookies (a treat that a new chef wanted to make for us – they are delicious). The meal was exceptional and made me reminiscent of cookouts in general. I have not had fire-grilled food since last fall…so it was quite the treat.
As I read the newspaper the other, one article covered the aftermath of the damage damn that flooded many villages in the southern region of Ukraine. The picture is simple yet incredibly captures the personal devastation from the flood. An elder woman (of course wearing a babushka) barely holds her two dogs above waist-high murky water. Her facial expression shows a broken and hopeless woman. This is her home – her safety – her security. It is full of dirty water. It ruined her home and destroyed all her belongings. Her dining room table is floating on the water. Pictures, clothes, and all the memorabilia that makes a home a home is ruined. I cut this picture out and hung it in my locker. It is my daily reminder of humility. I am blessed to have so much good, support, love, structure, safety, etc. in my life, even though I am in prison. The picture connects me to the reality of suffering in the world, and the very personal suffering that so many people experience on a daily basis. Thus, I am grateful for all that I have – I am blessed – I experience little miracles of hope and love. No matter how much of a rut I may feel or how I might miss my family, this simple picture grounds those moments. I share this story to simply reiterate how well off I am and how I try to stay connected to the outside. Prison is temporary and hopefully so is the situation with the woman in the picture. As you celebrate life, please remember to keep an eye out for those little miracles and give thanks for all the good and wonderfulness that life offers!