Category: The Beat Without

by Mikhail Markhasev I came to America at the age of ten. I could be whoever I wanted and whatever I chose. The problem was that I didn’t know who I was, what I wanted, or where I was headed. Less than a decade after coming to America, I was in prison, serving life without parole. How did I get from a good and humble kid, “fresh off the boat,” to a violent knucklehead who turned his back on his family and harmed innocent people? My path to prison began long before the dope or the homies or dropping out

by Michael Mackey Walking away may at times be one essential way for having a wise life, but on the other hand it may not be, depending on what it was you walked away from. Sometimes walking away is the path to freedom. Walking away from the hopes, the fears, the pain, the past, and the stories that have a hold on us, allows us to quiet our own minds, and open our hearts in a positive manner.  Never be scared, or have too much pride to walk away, trust and believe that with the courage you have within you,

by Bryan Wu It’s hard to describe the who, what, and why’s of how we feel at times. Especially when we’ve become accustomed to living in such a dishonest way for so long. Even we start to believe our own lies. Our greatest emotional fears become realities and it seems the more we attempt to avoid these “things,” the more evident and realistic they become. Until we become aware, recognize, and nurture these feelings we have, we will be unable to release ourselves from the confining ropes of negativity, knotted within our minds. As I sat there pretending to watch

by Osvaldo Vasquez After many years in prison and many self-help groups, I realized my thinking had degenerated drastically from what is acceptable in order for my life to get to the place where it was okay in my head to steal and kidnap somebody. Today, as a result of my personal self-analysis and use of the principles of the 12 Step Program (Humility, Honesty, Open-Mindedness, Responsibility, Willingness, Forgiveness, etc.) I realize, thanks to my sobriety (six years clean) and good judgement, that all these things were contributing and causative factors that led to my life-crime.  My recovery and rehabilitation

by Harry C. Goodall You never really realize what you have until you lose it. My life, and freedom was just as that. Freedom is something that I had placed no value on. There has been nothing I have been more careless with than giving away decades of my life. Can you imagine someone that got good grades in school, and excelled in sports, only to leave it all behind to feel a part of something else. Basically, I was chasing love and attention in the streets I grew up in. When in reality all I had to do was

 by Angel Alvarado My name is Angel Isaiah Alvarado. I’m twenty-three years old and I would like to share my testimony on why I became attracted to the criminal life when I was young. I never knew about criminal and drug-related activity until I became aware of my family history and saw all the behaviors and activities that were going on within my house.   My mother and father were involved with gangs and drugs way before I was born. My father was actually murdered when I was a newborn child. I never got to be around him long enough to

by Bobby Bostic  As I sit and meditate on the many mistakes that I have made in life, I contemplate on the advice that I would give my younger self. Then again, I wonder would he listen? My fourteen , fifteen or sixteen year old self thought he had it all figured out. He rebelled against adults, because in his young mind they didn’t know what there were talking about. How could they, since they couldn’t see the world through his eyes. Ironically, now that I am older I see things differently.  When we are young we somehow put it

by Alexis Pamiroyan To all of you teenagers spread out in juvenile halls, group homes, and other facilities across the country, you hold something within yourself that you may not be aware of. You hold “The Beat within Yourself” that is screaming to be heard and NOW is the time to pay attention to what it is exactly saying to you and the world around you! In just six simple words to you, it’s never too late to change! I know that you are sitting there locked away or removed from the place that you call “home,” and you are

by Brother Vernon Smith Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away, that they were meant to be there to serve some sort of purpose and teach you a lesson. They help you figure out who you are, or who you want to become. You never know just who these people may be, but when you lock eyes with them, you know in that moment, that they will affect your life in some profound way.  Sometimes things happen to you and at that time, they may seem horrible, painful and unfair, but in reflection you realize that

by Joseph “Big Bro” Weathington Dear Edward Jr. (Pesto),  Hey baby bro, it’s been a while since you passed away. A lot has changed since your death, but missing you is the one thing that hasn’t. I love you bro, and I miss you just as much.  I’m writing you because I want to apologize. I’m sorry that I failed you. I wasn’t the big brother to you that I should have been. I didn’t guide you in the right direction. I led you left, when I should have been the big brother that showed you something different, given you