by J
We live in a world of chances. Day by day, we all make mistakes. Nobody in this world was born to be perfect. Our mistakes are what makes us the strongest. We learn from our experiences, failures, and our past. We also have the power and choice to use the knowledge of our experiences to better equip ourselves to face the present and the future. The real challenge is change and adjustment. Some become so used to living a certain way and can’t change, and won’t change. We must learn to do our best, no matter where we are for where we end up.
As I sat in the cell and looked through the window, I see my friend getting released. The months keep going and more friends keep leaving. I wonder, will the court give me a second chance? A chance to do well and be successful. During my stay, I do well. I show to be mature and respectful. I do my work in school and keep a good attitude. In my head I think I stand a chance in court. The new year comes and I am still waiting for an answer. I keep doing well, I’m committed to do well. Time passes, and I grow in knowledge each day.
Finally, the day comes. The day of the answer I have long waited for. I entered the court room and was ready to receive the news. I sat there and waited. Finally, it came to the end and the DA points out petty things, like having extra items like books, pencils, or other things, “contraband.” Once the DA is finished, the judge gets ready to give me an answer. Finally, she says I will have to do a little more time due to my recent behavior. The judge finished her last words as I see the DA smile. I was still glad I didn’t get what the DA was recommending. Instead, I was given a chance to do well, but under probation.
I was released after doing eight months. I was grateful to be out and start fresh. I had to do community work and other programs. I became involved in the community programs and was also doing school programs. I joined the football team to try something new. I also joined the gym and became really occupied with all the activities I was doing.
As the time passed, I got closer to being terminated off probation. I kept doing well while I was out, until one day I smoked and got a dirty urine test. I felt like I’d be “weak” if I turned myself in, so I went on the run for a couple weeks. I finally went home and my PO said I had court. I was surprised I wasn’t arrested at the moment. I went to court and thought I would get another chance, since I did good while I was out, until the dirty urine test. I sat there waiting until the DA brought up the incident and other old stuff. The judge decided that I should be back in custody.
Another new year came, and I waited for an answer, a release date, or another chance. Finally the answer came, and I had to do more time than the first time. I would become an adult behind a cell. As I began to think in the cell, I thought that my hard work had been lost and that I was stuck in the system. I also thought that I had become dependent on chances and that chance hadn’t come yet.
Why give somebody a chance, when they mess up over and over? If there were no chances in this world, nobody would make it. Nobody in this world is perfect. A chance could give someone an opportunity. An opportunity to do good in life and in the community. If a human being is not given a chance, how will they learn to do well in the community? How will they learn to come back to the community when they have been pushed away fro a long time? A person needs a chance to prove themselves.
There could be a chance, but the real challenge is change. We become accustomed and lazy to do more. We limit ourselves. When I got released I didn’t give up, but I wasn’t determined to be the best I can be. We must learn to do good, no matter where we are. One of my homies is going to a good college and that motivates me to do well myself. Something good could come out of an invested person. With good programs like scholarships or others, we can better succeed.
We just have to strive for better and work hard to achieve our set goals. No matter where we from, we can make it to a successful life. Take advantage of a chance because you don’t know if you will get one again.