Here at TC, "Life Without" starts at Ch. 18. The first seventeen chapters are elsewhere.
Chapter 18: Feelings Check
I had to spice-up up my prison resume pronto as Bumpo had advised me to make it look like have tried to, before a future Parole Board. I looked over my list from the Self-improvement and job board (see chapter 16Decisonsfor background knowledge if needed).
I wrote down several possibilities backDid some thought, crossed out some and circled others.
The first I would try would be.....Mondays at 6 PM. Hosted by Patricia Worthington, Counselor.
When the time came I walked to room 416-B and peered in. The door was open.
There was a group of about 16 inmates sitting in a circle on plastic chairs. I had never seennor met any of these inmate beforestyrofoamNezcafe
I glanced towards the group that was talking peacefully in a hum of low voices to one another.
Kind of like those AA meetings and Interventions
I spotted an open chair on the left side of the circle, walked over slowly and
A slightly overweight man in his 40s sheepishly entered the room. I could tell it was his first time, too. He looked around a bit bewildered trying to think about where to sit. His eyes focused mainly towards the floor to avoid eye contact. Finally, he shuffled to another open chair opposite of me. I could sense his pensiveness, which was similar to my own. I scanned the circle from my chair again. It was relaxed. Except for one man, in his 30s, with a dark brown flat top haircut and sweater who sat in a tense posture, eyes staring straight ahead, with both arms resting on his lap with fists clenched. I told myself.
A tall and lanky inmate in jeans, dull red flannel shirt, and graying pony-tail stood up and walked towards me. He stuck out his hand for a shake. I stood up, made eye-contact, and shook his hand.
more at ease.
six.
I sat down amidst the quiet conversation among those here and opened my notebook.
s
Table of Contents, by chapter. I skimmed it.
Nutrition for Physically Improving our:
Stress
High blood pressure
Diabetes
LDL Cholesterol levels
Acid Reflux
Arthritis
Gout
IBS
Inflammation
Etcetera....
I turned the page. The next page read:
Nutrition for Mentally Improving Our:
Insomnia
Anxiety
Neurosis
Agoraphobia
Claustrophobia
Feelings of inadequacy
Anger Management
Depression
Etcera....etcetera.
I opened a random page to take a look. They were all photocopies of articles written by Psychologists, Nutritionists, a couple Doctors, Yoga gurus, and Personal Trainers. Some of these articles even came from magazines and newspapers.
" --No sh*tSherlock,I thought. What do they think I am? Stupid.
Another read:
GDuh.
Useless info....I thought....
The chatter all of a sudden stopped.
,, with a clear lack of enthusiasm.
Patty Worthington was a middle-aged plump women with slightly red mid-length poofy 1980s style hair, large glasses and a radiant smile. She wore a light blue loose-fitting dress. Loose fit was not only because she big but also to not arouse deprived male inmates. T
placed it into a tissue, putting it away.
The room was silent.
6
that I and that other guy were the newbies.
I raised my hand slowly.
awkwardly.
group responded in a pleasant and welcoming manner in unison, but lacking any energy whatsoever.
....Hi,uhm....like I said,
....feelings
Pause....silence.
idence.
Patty recognized this immediately, and being the professional she is, she filled the void.
The New Guy opposite of me raised his hand.
l
!genuine feeling.
A man raised his hand.
Doin I got promoted to line manager at the License Plate
Jesus, I thought....Does this guy have a life?
gotta raise. .74 Cents an hourmakin
Some members clapped their hands in a slow and muffled manner. This was like an Alan Smithee film.
instructed Patty,psuedo-shrink on the cheap. Probably a low-grade Counselor who the prison hired on the cheap, knowing how tight with budgets they are.
A man with long brown hair pulled parted in the middle raised his arm in the back in the middle of the circle.
ear it
! Rah-Rah chant but with no soul.
ckinhot
8bullsh
One guy in the group shook his head disapprovingly.
!
!
he said.
feelings
My mind was already wondering. This was so dull. But it was what I was willing to do to cast myself in the best light possible before the parole board.
.....
Chapter 18: Feelings Check
I had to spice-up up my prison resume pronto as Bumpo had advised me to make it look like have tried to, before a future Parole Board. I looked over my list from the Self-improvement and job board (see chapter 16Decisonsfor background knowledge if needed).
I wrote down several possibilities backDid some thought, crossed out some and circled others.
The first I would try would be.....Mondays at 6 PM. Hosted by Patricia Worthington, Counselor.
When the time came I walked to room 416-B and peered in. The door was open.
There was a group of about 16 inmates sitting in a circle on plastic chairs. I had never seennor met any of these inmate beforestyrofoamNezcafe
I glanced towards the group that was talking peacefully in a hum of low voices to one another.
Kind of like those AA meetings and Interventions
I spotted an open chair on the left side of the circle, walked over slowly and
A slightly overweight man in his 40s sheepishly entered the room. I could tell it was his first time, too. He looked around a bit bewildered trying to think about where to sit. His eyes focused mainly towards the floor to avoid eye contact. Finally, he shuffled to another open chair opposite of me. I could sense his pensiveness, which was similar to my own. I scanned the circle from my chair again. It was relaxed. Except for one man, in his 30s, with a dark brown flat top haircut and sweater who sat in a tense posture, eyes staring straight ahead, with both arms resting on his lap with fists clenched. I told myself.
A tall and lanky inmate in jeans, dull red flannel shirt, and graying pony-tail stood up and walked towards me. He stuck out his hand for a shake. I stood up, made eye-contact, and shook his hand.
more at ease.
six.
I sat down amidst the quiet conversation among those here and opened my notebook.
s
Table of Contents, by chapter. I skimmed it.
Nutrition for Physically Improving our:
Stress
High blood pressure
Diabetes
LDL Cholesterol levels
Acid Reflux
Arthritis
Gout
IBS
Inflammation
Etcetera....
I turned the page. The next page read:
Nutrition for Mentally Improving Our:
Insomnia
Anxiety
Neurosis
Agoraphobia
Claustrophobia
Feelings of inadequacy
Anger Management
Depression
Etcera....etcetera.
I opened a random page to take a look. They were all photocopies of articles written by Psychologists, Nutritionists, a couple Doctors, Yoga gurus, and Personal Trainers. Some of these articles even came from magazines and newspapers.
" --No sh*tSherlock,I thought. What do they think I am? Stupid.
Another read:
GDuh.
Useless info....I thought....
The chatter all of a sudden stopped.
,, with a clear lack of enthusiasm.
Patty Worthington was a middle-aged plump women with slightly red mid-length poofy 1980s style hair, large glasses and a radiant smile. She wore a light blue loose-fitting dress. Loose fit was not only because she big but also to not arouse deprived male inmates. T
placed it into a tissue, putting it away.
The room was silent.
6
that I and that other guy were the newbies.
I raised my hand slowly.
awkwardly.
group responded in a pleasant and welcoming manner in unison, but lacking any energy whatsoever.
....Hi,uhm....like I said,
....feelings
Pause....silence.
idence.
Patty recognized this immediately, and being the professional she is, she filled the void.
The New Guy opposite of me raised his hand.
l
!genuine feeling.
A man raised his hand.
Doin I got promoted to line manager at the License Plate
Jesus, I thought....Does this guy have a life?
gotta raise. .74 Cents an hourmakin
Some members clapped their hands in a slow and muffled manner. This was like an Alan Smithee film.
instructed Patty,psuedo-shrink on the cheap. Probably a low-grade Counselor who the prison hired on the cheap, knowing how tight with budgets they are.
A man with long brown hair pulled parted in the middle raised his arm in the back in the middle of the circle.
ear it
! Rah-Rah chant but with no soul.
ckinhot
8bullsh
One guy in the group shook his head disapprovingly.
!
!
he said.
feelings
My mind was already wondering. This was so dull. But it was what I was willing to do to cast myself in the best light possible before the parole board.
.....
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