I am in my cell this evening trying to write...
...while my neighbor, who lives in another cell about five feet away, screams and carries on like a lunatic. It is simply what he does to pass the time.
Most people have no conception of how unstable and unpredictable prison life is. One day the cellblock might be fairly orderly with a reasonable degree of quiet. Then the next day, for no apparent reason, several dozen men will all seem to be hit with a collective insanity. Each one begins to yell and scream and make all sorts of noise, or just act weird. This then develops into a cacophony of harsh, jarring sounds that bounce off the concrete and steel, funnel into ear canals, and quickly enter the brains of the rest of the prisoners.
Thankfully I have a pair of headphones, a Walkman, and some Christian praise tapes, so I can at least partially escape the chaos until, one by one, the screamers finally get tired or bored and stop their crazy behavior. Right now, I am longing for the late hours when the noise will come to an end and I can have some good quality quiet time. And then tomorrow it is back to my work assignment, plus other chores I have to do, like lots of laundry.
I am thankful though that God has helped me to survive such a chaotic Christmas. I really do love these men and care about them, but I'm so appreciate God's grace that has kept me sane all these years.
D.B.
Most people have no conception of how unstable and unpredictable prison life is. One day the cellblock might be fairly orderly with a reasonable degree of quiet. Then the next day, for no apparent reason, several dozen men will all seem to be hit with a collective insanity. Each one begins to yell and scream and make all sorts of noise, or just act weird. This then develops into a cacophony of harsh, jarring sounds that bounce off the concrete and steel, funnel into ear canals, and quickly enter the brains of the rest of the prisoners.
Thankfully I have a pair of headphones, a Walkman, and some Christian praise tapes, so I can at least partially escape the chaos until, one by one, the screamers finally get tired or bored and stop their crazy behavior. Right now, I am longing for the late hours when the noise will come to an end and I can have some good quality quiet time. And then tomorrow it is back to my work assignment, plus other chores I have to do, like lots of laundry.
I am thankful though that God has helped me to survive such a chaotic Christmas. I really do love these men and care about them, but I'm so appreciate God's grace that has kept me sane all these years.
D.B.