Tag Archives: relationships

Revising a Life by Wayne T. Dowdy

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Image captured at McDonough Goodwill Store and Donation Center

Revising a Life

While walking with a friend at the McDonough Goodwill Store and Donation Center, I snapped the above photo of Kirklands’ Autumn Plaque and two pictures. Snapping quality photos is a natural skill for me, as is evident by my 18-million views on Google Maps displayed in the screenshot below.

Revising a Life by Wayne T. Dowdy relates to a variety of aspects from my life (affiliate marketing, relationships, my writing career, and my overall successful reentry into society). More of which I will write about in Life After Release-9.

On Writing: A month ago I came up with the idea for an eBook, Revising a Life, because that is what I am in the process of doing. I am the author, editor, and creator, at least, to the point of where my Higher Power, whom I choose to call God, allows me.

One day He will elect to End the Story. For now, though, I am writing the story as I go along one day at a time, accepting that everything will be okay.

I am a good writer and will focus more on my writing career than what I have been doing since my release.

Affiliate Marketing

At this point, I am not impressed with the whole affiliate marketing process. I question whether the companies are getting sales from my promotions and not paying me what is due, so …. I am moving on to other companies.

However, I would be more successful at it if I advertised and followed suggestions better than I do when it comes to posting content and mass advertising to market what I promote.

Successful Reentry

Since my release on August 28, 2018, I’ve actually accomplished a lot but don’t feel like I am where I should be in life by this time. However, I know things work according to God’s will, whether I like it or not.

What is of greatest importance is that I continue to work and to live my life without resulting to old behaviors, such as getting high on mind-altering substances, and then becoming a walking crime spree in action.

Not my style anymore. I retired decades ago.

Picture Perfect: At five million photo views on Google Maps, I was in the Top One percent. Now that I am up to 18-million, can’t be too many others who outperform me. Unfortunately, my success in that area only strokes my ego because it hasn’t earned me a cent!

Now, I am in the Top Ten percent as a Google MAPS American Restaurant Reviewer. That stat may benefit me in some areas but still hasn’t made me rich and famous. 🙂

Relationships

Still lacking in that area, too. Maybe I need to quit playing hard to get, and focus more on the women who want me and are worthy of my love, rather than chasing others who are so filled with themselves that there is no room for anyone else.

In A Prisoner and a Poem for a Princess shown below (also available in Essays & More Straight from the Pen), I wrote about the only fiancĂ© that I’ve had in decades, which left me with a broken heart when she died from Congestive Heart Failure at the age of 47.

Broken my heart may be, but I am okay with it. Some things are just meant to be for reasons unknown to me.

Conclusion

Once again, in A Prisoner and a Poem for a Princess, I mention hearing a song that made me wonder if it was what was fixing to happen (losing my lover). At the time I did know know Pearl Jam was the group who had redone the old song I heard in my head, before hearing Pearl Jam’s version on the radio.

If you want to hear a great song and witness something special, click to open the YouTube video where Eddie Vetter and Pearl Jam gives three men a wonderful opportunity who came out of prison after being wrongly convicted.

Pearl Jam Concert, May 27, 2006, Camden, NJ

Watch “Mix – Pearl Jam – Last Kiss” on YouTube

Looking for a Prince or Princess?

Kiss Me Baby!

Handsome, huh? Who thinks he (or she) becomes a prince or princess with a kiss from that special person, the one with magic lips? Not me. Sorry, I don’t believe in fairy tales.

Sometimes I feel like a rejected frog who is a real prince but I refuse to allow emotions to control me to the extent that I lower my standards to just get laid by taking advantage of a woman simply for sex and thus risk picking up something I may not be looking for (STDs). I turn down a lot of opportunities, because I know the right one for me is out here somewhere. If not, oh well, I have survived decades without being romantically involved with anyone, so maybe that is how I will remain.

My focus remains on building a successful future that does not include reverting to old behaviors that would led me back to life on the “Inside,”(prison), as happens to thousands of others each year. Anyways, ….

Whether looking for a prince or princess, what happens often is that the best ones may get away. The article I link explains it better than I, so rather than write long excerpts from the article, if you want to read about the topic, click to read, “Why Do Nice Guys Really Finish Last? Here’s Why Women Go For Bad Boys According To A Matchmaker.”

August 19, 2021, Update: Ironically, the day after I posted this blog I noticed a book being thrown away at the Goodwill Store and Donation Center where I work.

Maybe I found Love at Last, a cute little frog I must kiss to get my Princess.

Independence Day 2023 by Wayne T. Dowdy

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Leaving the Past Behind

I am reposting this from 2023 because everything remains the same: only the years and some circumstances have changed, but the sentiment behind this holiday has not.

Happy Independence Day to those who celebrate America’s independence for traditional reasons.

In 2020 I wrote about my personal perspective on Independence Day which may be read by clicking this link: Happy Independence Day | STRAIGHT FROM THE PEN.

Independence Day means freedom for me. In that blog I included another link for the historical aspect of Independence Day. Please feel free to read.

Today I am wishing a Happy Independence Day to those who may have freed themselves from an abusive, unhealthy relationship. For those who may still be trapped in one, I hope the day comes where you, too, find freedom from the one who mistreats you and fails to provide the love, respect and kindness you deserve.

Do not hesitate to seek professional assistance if needed.

Never lose hope!

For me, I continue my fight against recidivism (not returning to old behaviors with negative consequence (addiction, crime, etc.)), and to help others to live their lives where it is not necessary to revert to old, destructive, and unhealthy behaviors.

My focus today is to become a successful affiliate marketer and entrepreneur, as well as to begin my long-term goal of building a business that makes the world a better place, to help others to live better lives, and to reduce the damage we do to Mother Earth.

May the remainder of 2021 bring each of you an abundance of love, good health, and the successes in life you desire.

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Year One of New Life by Wayne T. Dowdy

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Stanley and Wayne (Me on the right side, hands on guns)

One year ago today (March 8th), I walked out the doors of Dismas Charities in Atlanta, Georgia, as a man freed from the custody of the United States Federal Bureau of Prisons. I wrote Electronic Chain about that experience. https://straightfromthepen.com/electronic-chain

Life hasn’t gone according to the World of Wayne since my release, other than that I have remained a free man and have continued my pursuit of a better life.

Life is good. My plan remains to make it Great!

In many respects my life is great. I have remained clean and sober and chose not to return to the life of crime as thousands of formerly-released men and women have done since August 28, 2018, when I walked out the doors of a Federal Correctional Institution, thirty-years and ten days after my arrest on federal and state charges.

Throughout the years, I wrote a lot about recidivism, of which may be viewed by searching “Recidivism” or by using the dropdown menu to select the Recidivism category on this site. The May 2018 study numbers are the latest released (83% of state prisoners returned within the nine-year study referenced to below):

“2018 Update on Prisoner Recidivism: A 9-Year Follow-up Period (2005-2014),” NCJ250975, May 2018, a follow-up to the 5-year study relied upon for comparison by the ex-director (“Recidivism of Prisoners Released in 30 States in 2005: Patterns from 2005 to 2010,” NCJ244205, April 2014).

“The 83% recidivism rate revealed in the 9-year follow-up study shows the seriousness of recidivism in America and the need for a magic elixir that does not exist. Until financial incentives end for politicians who continue making policies and laws that fuel mass incarceration, positive change will be slow: It is time to stop state and federal funding for private prisons.” Breaking News, June 18, 2018

I refuse to become one of those who return to the system so many vow to hate but continue to return to make it grow bigger and stronger!

On a Personal Level

Since my release, I found a job, even though it took me eleven months of actively seeking one to succeed in that endeavor. On that job with Goodwill of North Georgia, I made Employee of the Month in October 2019, and was then selected for the Employee Spotlight in the following month.

Then on March 2, 2020, I began a different position in Goodwill of North Georgia and increased my salary by over thirty percent. More will follow!

I have a nice vehicle that gets me where I need to go, which a loving person blessed me with after she bought herself a new SUV.

For other aspects of the reentry process, is finding a new place to live and maybe even getting in a meaningful relationship if a special lady comes along.

Before my release, I joked with my peers that I was going to get a fat butt girl with a pecan tan and a Mercedes Benz, but maybe I need to revise that, because that’s being too picky. What I would like is that special lady who loves me the way I will love her and then perhaps I will perceive my life as great.

What was I thinking? I am free and alive and well! Life is great!

In conclusion, what I didn’t know during the time of the photo posted above when I was about three-years-young, with me with my hands on those toy guns, is that I would make bad decisions in life that would lead me to putting my hands on real guns to commit crimes and to spend most of my life in prison.

I wrote a lot about my life in Essays & More Straight from the Pen to show the power of change, and that, just because I was a recidivist, does not mean I have to be one now. I chose freedom. Thank you!

$8.95 USD, available as a paperback and as an eBook from most book sellers.