A New Pope! Another Mother's Day! Israeli-American freed from Hamas! This week certainly was eventful for the history books and a fitting start to the pre-summer season. While I haven't been outside to enjoy the weather in over three weeks, I am excited to be a piece of cargo destined for Texarkana, Texas! The longer I stayed confined in Oklahoma City, the worse the experience became, especially from the first week review. Surrounded by men who killed...murdered...spews filth, disgrace, profound sadness, and despair. The last three weeks have been a life experience that I would never wish upon anyone. From a near race war within my cell block, to junkies aggressively searching for their next fix, to terribly rationed food, the experience of this week alone left its permanence on my being.
For example, here's a snippet of an actual conversation that I had while I was in my cell reading a book:
Art: Yo, I'm your neighbor.
Me: Hi. I'm Ken. Nice to meet you.
Art: I'm Art, but guys call me Otro. You look white collar.
Me: That obvious?
Art: Yeah, I've been down so I know the look. How much time you get?
Me: 78
Art: Years?!
Me: No, 78 months.
Art: Oh, that makes sense. I started with 5 years, but then I caught a RICO charge +30 years while I was in prison. Then, I got life.
Me: Wow! I'm sorry.
Art: It's cool. I killed the guy who killed my son. He was in the same cell block, so I had to take matters into my own hands. I've been down since 1998 when I was 18 years old...and had just another year left on my RICO sentence when the guy who killed my son came to my prison two years ago. He knew what was coming to him was deserved...By the way, Netflix is interested in my story.
Sheesh, the conversation left me speechless, and I couldn't be any more uncomfortable with the engagement, especially after the lack of utter remorse for taking another man's life. I left three weeks incarcerated in Oklahoma City intoxicated with a realization some men are beyond returning back home (and maybe shouldn't).
Now, it's off to greener pastures (I hope). After being woken up at midnight and told to prepare for transit, I drudged through the 2-hour exit process to greet welcomed rest on a very long bus trip. Since all men are placed in shackles, handcuffs, and caged while on the bus, I dreaded this long trip of discomfort and bumpy torture...but at least I was leaving Oklahoma City... good riddance. With a minimum-security level and superb behavior history, I was chosen to be an orderly on the bus, which simply meant that I would be unhandcuffed and be able to roam freely throughout the bus while collecting any trash from the measly bagged lunches. After 13 hours on the bus, I finally arrived to my final destination...Federal Satellite Camp (FSC) Texarkana, Texas! I'll be writing more shortly on this next (and hopefully final) stage of being incarcerated. I cannot thank you enough for the overwhelming support, encouragement, and love that has been shown through this journey and the past few weeks. Until next time, have a great week and continue to be mindful of any little miracle in your life this week 🙂