"Five old men walk into a church" may begin like a joke, but this week 5 living U.S. Presidents were gathered to pay final respects to President Jimmy Carter (don't worry the church didn't catch fire). What a powerful display of democracy in full view for the world! While many politicized topics may polarize American opinions, the image of past, current, and future presidents does foster hope that differences may be set aside for respectful unity in a house of worship and prayer. For me, the gathering was pretty nifty to watch. Three major headlines dominated the media this week: Carter's funeral, the LA fires, and the wintery weather. How tragic to see so much destruction from the various fires burning around Los Angeles due to the 80-100 mph wind gusts. Watching the scenes from LA reminded me of the devastating Maui fire and so much loss of life and beautiful properties. It seems much speculation has been circulating over blame of what caused the fires including arson, power lines, and the conspiratorial insurance companies. Whatever the cause be, the aftermath from the destruction has caused literal homelessness, grief, and profound turmoil as authorities try to repair, rebuild, and prevent.
Having been in Morgantown for over two years, the burst of wintery weather has been the worst that I've experienced here. The cold temperatures and blizzardy snow squalls painted a beautiful landscape on the mountains and creek. The ski-perfect snow had me reminiscing about weekend adventures, snowballs/snow angels, and many incredible memories of winters past. As for an update regarding the closure of Morgantown, all seems very quiet. Regular operations are the norm without much gossip about what is coming down the pike. Of course, some chit-chat offers speculative mumbles of timing and who'll be first to transfer. In the meantime, I'm remaining focused on my electrician apprenticeship and hoping to be transferred to a facility closer to home. Oh, because of Carter's funeral and interment, we had two days off from work, which made it a 4-day weekend for us in addition to the snow days from earlier in the week. As you may recall, weekends are VERY boring times since the recreation area is closed, so everyone is primarily limited to activities within the living quarters.
As always, I really appreciate you taking the time to check-in and indulge in my simple reflections on life in prison. Please stay safe and warm during this wintery burst of weather and keep all those without a structure to call home in your prayers...and continue to be mindful of any little miracle in your life this week 🙂