The computer system here went down on Friday and Saturday due to the global blackout from a cybersecurity flawed update for Microsoft’s cloud service. Globally, the system outage showed how vulnerably reliant our daily operations are on computers, including governments, hospitals, schools, airlines, cell phones, companies… The culprit of this untethering was a cybersecurity programming glitch, which instantly made some cloud computing void. Here at Morgantown, all computers and phones for both staff and inmates were down, and the daily functions ceased, which could have resulted in a potentially dangerous situation. Thankfully all systems were restored on Saturday with communication fully activated, which I am grateful was very quick turnaround.
The past 20 months in prison has taught me to examine self-vulnerabilities and the importance of dependency that I have on staying connected to loved ones. The uncertainty of what will happen later in the day or even tomorrow cages the mind into a spiral of helplessness. I have often talked to guys that have been locked up during the onset of COVID when they were quarantined in a cell for 24 hours every day. Each one has discussed the mental anguish and torment of being locked in one place without significant human engagement. Fortunately, I am not in a situation where this type of isolation mandates lockdowns and am challenged with opportunities for solitude. Yet, I am mindful of having meaningful social interactions with other inmates. The connections with them do not surmount or supplement for genuine friendships and familial interactions. Thus, prison is prison for a reason, which does expose personal vulnerabilities as I have learned over these 20 months. The ego is broken, reshaped, and hopefully restored. From an environmental aspect, another vulnerability had been exposed this week: the air conditioning in my housing unit. One of the hottest weeks on record, the air conditioning system malfunctioned and completely shutdown. As the heat intensified for four days, both waking and sleeping conditions became quite difficult. The prison staff took this situation very seriously and addressed the issue (once they were back in the office). With much elation, the system was fixed by Wednesday which was attributed to a loose wire and some need for more coolant. The relief of cool air was very welcomed. While other housing units have no air conditioning, they have windows and fans to dissipate the heat, where these crucial items are absent in my housing unit. The entire experience humbled many of us, and certainly highlighted how utterly vulnerable our living conditions may change at an instant on any given day.
Over these many, many months, I remain entirely grateful for all the love and support that has been afforded to me by so many people. I am really fortunate to have this support and connection to the outside community. Each passing day is a reminder of my terrible choices that led me here, an opportunity to express my regrets, especially to those individuals that have been affected by my crimes, and moments to embrace the rehabilitative programming offered for future success. Thank you for taking the time to visit and catch up on this blog. Also, I just met another inmate who shared that his family has found this blog encouraging for his preparations to come to Morgantown. I am glad that others are able to find some good from my ramblings. I wish you a wonderful week and hopefully you are mindful of any little miracle in your life 🙂