This week, fog and frost greeted each chilly morning with declarations that fall is here. Despite some rainy days and not being able to play pickleball, the sunshine of my week was a renewing visit from Drew! I’ve probably harped too many times that the hardest struggle in prison is not being present, especially for significant life events. Visits in prison are not as simple as they once were before the pandemic. The prison system actually does a background checks on each visitor, and the visits are closely monitored by what seems like everchanging rules. Since I am in a prison camp, I am able to visit freely without having to talk through a phone, video screen, or some hard piece of plastic. Being able to meet in-person does have many restrictions, so I am always anxious when I have the fortune of a visit. I worry that someone will be wearing the wrong clothes, not have the proper approvals, and experience a difficult time after driving hours. Prior to a visit, I do my best to ensure that all preparations align with the most recent visitation policies. No matter how many visits someone might have, the correctional officers have uniquely different understandings or approaches for enforcing the visitor policy and its restrictions. Hence, my father wearing the same outfit from one visit to the next, but being rejected admission during the second visit since his pants were considered too athletic without having belt loops. Not having seen Drew for months, completely changed my disposition for the positive all week!
Then, waking up Sunday to the shock and horror of Hamas’s attack on Israel fixed me to one of the TVs breaking the news. I’ve known of Hamas as the governing body for Palestine, and I recalled the years of friction and unrest at the Gaza Strip between Palestinian/Israeli militaries. Back in 2014, I was going to visit Jerusalem courteous of Anti-Defamation League, after having completed an intensive study on the Holocaust and Jewish History. Even then, the trip had been canceled due to civil unrest in Gaza. Until the graphic and brutal attack of Hamas on Israelis, I truly had no grasp of the dire situation facing both sides. Hamas acting in a terroristic way with a core mission of wiping out all of Israel, and the oppression and displacement that Israel handed the Palestinian people since parts of Jerusalem were gifted to Israel following the atrocities of World War II. Sadly, the tinder box of decades of political and religious discord finally imploded. Predictably, more lives will be lost in senseless acts of aggression and revenge. I’m reminded of the innocent lives lost at the hands of mishap bombings and drone strikes intended to target terrorists. Most recently, the drone bombing of an innocent family mistaken to be a terrorist leader. I’m sure that grieved family considers their reckless loss to be terroristic and not simply a causality for a larger cause.
Prison affords me the opportunity to interact with Muslim men from Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, Iran, and Pakistan. With a few of these men, I have had fascinating conversations to better understand their viewpoints. The embedded disdain they have for the Israeli establishment palpates these discussions, although subtle. Objectively, they condemn Hamas’s actions, but at the same time are mindful of the plight that Palestinians (fellow Muslims) endured through the past 80 years. Sadly, I don’t foresee immediate peace in Israel. My prayers extend to peaceful resolve of the conflict and protection for the innocent lives exposed to this chaos, as well as for the Ukrainian/Russian war.
On a positive note, Monday was Columbus Day (or as a few guys here refer to it as Mass Murderer Day given the history of Columbus’ annihilation of the indigenous people in the Americas). Since it was a federal holiday, I had the day off of work, which yielded time for Bingo! It was a fun and good Bingo session, even if I hadn’t won this time. A delicious special meal was served keeping with the tradition for all federal holidays: BBQ quartered-chicken, macaroni and cheese, potato/egg salad, baked beans, green beans, and an ice cream sandwich. While I enjoyed the day off with Bingo and the bountiful meal, I played especially well in the even pickleball matches…6 games undefeated.
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog and for all your incredible support! I remain truly humbled and grateful to each of you. Please continue to look for the little miracles in your daily life!