by David Stanton Jr.
(I) Once was a baby, then a small child, and then a young teen, as well as a young adult, but now I am a middle-age elderly adult (being) 60-and-a-half years old, but basically that makes me part of all of you, which is human.
Living in this great big world of humanity. And whether you are “male” or “female” sometimes words of Wisdom, can help you change your lives for the (better) especially if you’re going down the (dark roads) of life, and to continue going down the dark roads is, (insanity) so please listen to me an (elder) who traveled down most of these (dark roads) of life, many of you have or are traveling now. In my youth and the results of my bad behavior, and bad choices, which currently (I) still most endure. So for serving 41 years, straight, in (utter-darkness) (I) call the adult prison system.
As (I) stated earlier, whether you’re male or female you are surrounded by “darkness” and light.
The darkness being confined, the light is “you”. Lessons are to be learned for some of us if we take this confinement serious. These places of confinement will either make you become aware that (you) can change to become a better human being, with a future that’s promising and positive, for your young lives, if you listen to your counselors, therapists etc, and do as they ask you to do, to rehabilitate.
Though (I) did not listen to my family, and elders, when (I) was a youth (I) plead…No, (I) beg (all) of you to listen to (all) those who have written countless positive life changing stories to you and also the (staff) that are in those juvenile confinement systems tying there (Best) as humans to help (all) of you. Believe me, they’re trying to help you regain your freedom so you don’t come to the adult prison system of “utter-darkness” like (I) am in, and grow (old) in here, and hear about family dying, and friends through the (long years). (I) have dealt with family abandonment, (I) have been serving a sentence of 88 years as a (first timer) serving so far as (I) stated earlier 41 years, that means (I) have been in prison (utter-darkness) longer than (I) have been alive on planet earth.
(I) was “slick” enough to miss the juvenile (justice system) of darkness, because of my bad choices, and bad behavior, but not “slick” enough to miss this place of (utter-darkness) called the adult prison system.
Though (I) am in here, my hope is to reach (you) and your “young minds”, so you don’t some day end up in here and try to find purpose to not just stay alive, but also hear how your loved ones, and friends (pass) away through the years, and you cannot go to funerals, the visits you once had or no more, no one can send you those packages you once received every three months, no one to accept your phone calls because momma or daddy has passed away, no money for canteen, and as each despairing day passes by your (mind) begins to play tricks on you, to perhaps want to take your (own) life.
Because you have no one out there in the (free world) any longer – this is what awaits you when you (serve a year or years) and (I) say to (all) of you (youngsters) who are now in those Juvenile Facilities, that you are now only in (Darkness), but you are light, though your young anger, rage and bad behavior and “I ain’t gonna listen to nobody but myself or my homie’s (type of attitudes), negative attitudes. That’s what got you (confined) in the first place, the (negative thoughts) became an action, of bad behavior.
And you might be saying, “Aw that old dude is just saying that, it isn’t going to happen to me.” Then my question to you is in all actuality what do you really know about (life)? And know how to live life to stay “free?” (I) thought (I) did 41 years ago, but my young anger and rage, and listening to myself and my homies and slickness from making bad choices through bad behavior got me 88 years, in “utter-darkness”, prison life so now (I) live with much regret, much remorse, and much accountability.
And (I) don’t want none of you if possible to come in here (prison life), because history is known sometimes to repeat (itself) so wake up young ones there’s still hope for (all) of you, (listen) to your (support) system while you’re inside, feed, and breathe because words from experience can change you for the better and (freedom) to make something positive come from your lives.