Your “prison” ain’t that bad

I have 2 pen-pals, both are serving time in prison. Real prison.

(I started writing inmates last year after listening to the podcast Ear Hustle, and I found my pen pals at WriteAPrisoner.com.)

One of my pals, James, is 24 years old and has been incarcerated since he was 15. Despite spending his entire adult life behind bars (and he still has 9 years left to go), he is one of the most positive and optimistic people I’ve communicated with.

James loves to read and learn new things. He says he’s “into anything and everything that helps me and my loved ones prosper within these walls.” From his letters and everything I can tell that James is a genuinely happy guy.

I’m sharing this with you because I know it’s tough to be quarantined and feel ‘locked up’ inside your house. It’s hard to have some of our freedoms taken away.

But I encourage you to stay positive and optimistic. Be like James. Think of all the things you can do instead of the things you can’t do.

You can still:
– call whoever you want
– wear whatever you want
– eat whatever you want
– shower whenever you want
– FaceTime, zoom, virtual hangout, etc
– open doors and windows
– google, study, read, listen or learn whatever you want
– workout
– be creative and do whatever indoor hobby you want to try.

If prison inmates can be happy with a fraction of the freedom you have, you can certainly do it!

This is a mental test. Stay strong