I wish each of you a Happy New Year and a Happy New Life!
For me, it is always a pleasant thought to acknowledge that each day is the first day of the rest of our lives.
May 2018 be the best year each of us experiences in our young lives. That’s right, I still consider myself young, per se, even though I have seen many moons come and go during my existence in this thing we call life. I am proud to have achieved elder-status!
My hope for 2018 is to walk out the doors of this prison, en route to becoming a legally free man who contributes something that benefits all of those who follow. My prayer is for each of you find the strength and courage to do what you can to make a positive difference in the lives of others, which I know will enrich the quality of your lives as it will those you help.
Learning to take selfless-actions over the selfish, self-centered ones Mr. EGO often demands; learning to stop and listen to those near and to the Creator, whom I chose to call God, and learning to experience my natural emotions, rather than pretending to be bulletproof, made me a better man.
What really made a difference in my life is learning how not to numb or saturate emotional responses with drugs and alcohol and “relearning” how to be human; that gave me a new life.
When the day comes that I do walk out these doors, which I still hope to be April 25, 2018, I know I will face many challenges that will test my faith and resolve. In three decades, “life out there” changed considerably, some for the best, some not so much, all of which will take me some time to readjust to and to learn to blend in with rest of the free world. But I also know that I am man enough to meet each challenge with the faith and courage I need to continue living the rest of my days as an honorable and respectful man.
Whether that day comes on April 25, 2018, or April 24, 2019, I will succeed at living the rest of my days doing something worthwhile and beneficial to this thing we call life. I hope the same will prove true for each of you. Happy New Life!