UPDATE: Our friend J.J. has been away for the past 13 days, locked up in confinement. The good news is that he did nothing wrong, was charged with nothing, and has a powerful mind to stay strong and positive. The bad news is that he had to live in a box for 13 days. Inmates do not have much as it is. They have nothing when they are locked in confinement. Alone. In a box. No natural light. No windows. No fresh air. No contact with others. Nothing. Just you and your mind sitting in a solid room, battling your very own thoughts. Three showers per week. And the food that is dropped...don't like it? Doesn't matter. You still eat it...it will be awhile before you see another tray of food.
The following post was written on DAY 3 of confinement. It just arrived in the mail.
So, I woke up today with some funny memory of my brother and I as kids. We lived at Lakeside, so we were 13 or 14 years old, I guess. Could have been a tad younger I suppose. Dad wouldn't let us have a TV. Mom and dad were on the super-duper "Christianity Bus" back then. Someone in the Lakeside camp was throwing away a broken TV. Thing was, it was for your car, not your house. So it plugged into a cigarette lighter.
First thing I did was find a converter so it would plug into a wall socket. Then I had it turned on so there was power. I finally discovered the problem was a loose wire. No channels would come in. Being 14, I didn't realize the power of the electric current that went into that little, compact, travel-sized, black and white TV.
So....while it was plugged in, I used a butter knife to reconnect the loose wire I had found. I found something else out that day. Electricity is a mother fucker! When that wire reconnected, it shot down the handle of that metal butter knife and reconnected me with the far wall of our basement. My little 14-year-old ass sat pinned to the wall, shaking, in fear for my life.
My brother Aaron looked on in amazement. How had his big brother's fat ass launched so quickly across the room? As soon as the smoke settled we discovered our little compact, travel-sized, black and white TV now worked. We were amazed. Not only had we defeated a broken TV, but we had also defeated our dad. We now had our very own TV set.
Being that TV was in the basement of our home, it only got two channels. Both of which were soap operas. That was fine! We were both quickly the two youngest fans of Days of our Lives and Young and the Restless. It really didn't matter what was on....we were watching TV!!! We were rebels.
And....everyone knows that 'soap operas' is slang for 'soft porn'. And there's a whole lot of sleeping around going on. Even at 14 I couldn't tell why they called it General Hospital. Seems they should have said "generally" in a "bedroom" since that's where most of their filming happened. But "hospital" sounds more professional and a lot less slutty. I won't lie....the slutty part was our favorite.
Amazing the things me and my brother did. Even more amazing we never burned the house down. This was a pleasant memory to wake up to this morning. Being that I am currently in confinement, locked away to my thoughts. Seems my brother manages to pop up at the craziest time in my life.
Last time he popped in, I was on a table in the emergency room. OD'ing on drugs and hanging on for dear life. He held my hand and walked me back from the edge. That's a day I will never forget. For some reason I had forgotten about the black and white TV.
I think memories are so special because they pop back up right when you need them. God sent my little brother to help me that day drugs tried to take me away. My little brother showed back up today to help me through day three of confinement.
Situations like this hold your body in a physical sense. Your mind is free. My mind is free. They only succeed in confining my body.
Thank you Aaron David for swinging through to once again save your big brother. Thank you to all my family, and my lady who stand tall beside me no matter where I find myself. Thank you, the reader, for giving me someone to talk to.
3 comments:
Aw brother, I don't remember that TV set, but I sure found a lot of other stuff in your room that you weren't supposed to have :) memories are awesome like that! I like to text my sisters when I can to remind them of some of the weird/crazy things we used to do. "Rememer making leaf houses?" "remember breaking into the dining hall and hiding all the silverware?" Haha! I love you, Michael. This post got me through a late-night feeding with your new nephew :)
Memories are incredibly special. I especially love how you put it... "they pop back up right when you need them." You are a strong mother fucker, babe! ;)
For the reader who doesn't know....Michael and I have coffee together on Saturday mornings. He has his lousy instant in styrofoam and I have fresh brewed gourmet in china. He leans against a wall...on a pay phone with a 2 foot cord while I relax in comfort on my screened in porch. But it's mother and son...sharing our hearts and our memories. A piece of heaven that you savor when you can. This weekend was especially powerful as he had been in "the box" for 2 weeks, and not because he did anything wrong. We had a lot to talk about. The death of his step-aunt.... And the birth of his nephew. And along with that we talked about my Dad, who played a huge role in Michaels life. And we cried.
Son...I am forever thankful you have those memories to pull from when you need them most. I am grateful that Aaron was with you in the box and that your grandma walked the rec yard with you today. And I am grateful that we have our own special memories. I love you Son.
And thank you readers of JJ. This gives him a purpose when the system wants him to believe he has no purpose. Thank you.. Thank you
The MOM
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