Breathe In--Breathe Out

Breathe in, breathe out...works well on either side of the fence.  Something we all need to do.  Remember to breathe.

"Freedom is priceless" is a well known phrase.  How free are you today?  I remember when I first moved to Florida, I loved seeing palm trees, sunny days and warm weather.  Then, I got a job, got hooked on some drugs and my life began to revolve aroud my job and my addiction.  I forgot the palm trees.

I now realize that freedom is a place in your mind.  You can be free at your desk buried under files.  You simply need to find that center in your life.  You can lose your freedom...its not all that hard.  Just remember you can get it back.  Try to simply breathe in, then breathe out.

I've been free for some years now.  I'm about to come home and exercise my freedom.  I get to come home and live my life with this new-found-freedom.  I won't take the palm trees for granted anymore.  Where I'm going there aren't palm trees.  There are snow banks and ice-sickles five months of the year.  But that's my freedom!  Stacking wood in the wood box for the stove.  Knocking snow off my boots.  Watching my breathe as I exhale.  Breathe in, breathe out.

You have seen me find my freedom here on Jail Bird.  You have encouraged me with your thoughts and comments.  Some of you have wrote me and shared your life with me.  I feel privileged to have walked some of my journey with you at my side.  In some way you helped bring freedom to me.

In return I will come home and help bring freedom to you.  We can feed off the positive energy of others.

Or....

We can feed off their negative energy.  That's how this thing works.  So many have given so much to me. I will forever be grateful.

I used to take from people.  I have hurt people.  My life left victims.  I can't change that, but I can attempt to give back.  Whether you like me or not, I'm about to come home.  You don't have to greet me when we meet.  Instead, you can watch.  I'm ready to prove myself.  I will encounter plenty of negative energy along with the positive.  I'll know you when I see you.

May I remember to just breathe.

Tattoo'd Hooligan @ Facebook

Here I am, down to my final few months.  Trying to stay low, under the radar and out of the way.  A Sergeant came to my dorm and began to ask around, "Who is the white guy who wears glasses and has all the tattoos?"  "The one who draws?"

Well, I take off my glasses and go sit in the TV room where there's a crowd.  Inmates know better than to volunteer information like that.  However, my dorm officer goes..."Oh yeah--that's Smith--he's in the back..."

So the Sergeant comes up to me and she asks why I didn't step forward.  I simply state, "I'm a convict and I didn't know why you needed me."  She looks at me and says, "I already know you're the tattoo guy---but can you paint?"

Well that's how I gave back to the community at my last camp.  Painted shit for them.  Signs, labels, murals; whatever they needed.  Now, at a new camp, I had just decided to lay low and chill for my last few months.  But, I went on in there and showed some skills and I'm now painting the officer's canteen and break lounge.  Lettering, murals...oh my!

The officer who has assigned me to this position pointed out to me that summer is already here.  Our dorms are hot and sweaty all day.  And I'm being given a job in the A.C. to paint.

I get to leave my dorm and go somewhere cool.  Put in my music and chill out.  Plus it frees my mind.  Like totally.  So I have another way to help me get through these last few months.  Here I was trying to duck out on them.  Now that I'm in this spot, I'm realizing I'm glad they came to me.  We can benefit each other.

I've had plans for many years now.  To come home, open my tattoo shop and make art.  I picked the name Tattoo'd Hooligan because I have been called Hooligan my entire time in prison.  I trademarked that logo so it couldn't be taken.  The Facebook page is now open and I would encourage you to check it out please.  I have a very small portfolio started just to get it going.  I will book my appointments and show my work on that page.

I am everything art.  It makes me happy and brings peace to my life.  It has helped me do my ten year sentence in the prison system.

Thank you for following my life on Jail Bird.  Continue to follow my art and the tattoo business on Facebook at Tattoo'd Hooligan.