My mom has been sending me brain teasers each week. For a long time she would send the problem on a Bloom County postcard and follow it later in the week with the answer on a sushi postcard. It's been really cool to not only exercise my noggin, but also collect some interesting postcards.I guess she has run out of sushi and Opus because a new series has started coming. The first one I received had me bundled up in laughter and I can't wait to get more. It featured a rabbit using a trampoline to hop through a helicopter's spinning blades. Flipping the card over, I saw the card is form the aptly named collection "Suicide Bunnies - 'little bunnies who just don't want to live anymore.' " Believe me, you have to see them to understand. But don't take my word for it; they are also endorsed by Elton John* and Hugh Grant**.
* "It’s the funniest, bunniest book I’ve ever read!"
** "Brilliantly researched—one of the most important books of the year."
I knew that since Alan had left an open bunk in my cell, I would be getting acquainted with a new cellmate soon. This unit, like most in the overcrowded Texas prison system, doesn't like to keep open bunks long. However, just like when I moved in, I had to wait to see who my new cellie would be. This time I was the one at work all day. It wasn't until I got back form Bible study in the evening that I found out who had moved in.
Juan is a Mexican national who came to live in Austin with his eight (!) brothers. He doesn't speak much English, so communication is not easy. I don't have much Spanish vocabulary under my command, even after my stint with a Mexican cellmate at my last unit. Juan was happy to have a white cellie because he said "blacks are too loud and dirty". Hmm...ooooookay.
I don't know how things will shake out, but it doesn't seem like Juan will be a bad guy to share space with. And really that's the only mandatory for a cellie. It would be nice to have a good relationship but it is not necessary. There are too many wackos in prison to ask for much more than a decent (by prison standards) guy.
Last week my close friend and cellmate, Alan,
found out he had made parole. Hallelujah! I know he is anxious to get home to his family, especially his kids. He genuinely wants a righteous life for himself and to be good example for his kids. He's been nervous all week, but he is excited and ready to get out of here.
Almost from day one when I moved into the cell we hit it off. We formed a friendship based on Christ, often praying for each others' hardships. It has been nice to be able to have a cellmate with whom I confide in and talk about all kinds of issues - mundane or complex. I don't know how much of an encouragement I've been to him, but Alan is often able, on those few down days, to lift me up in a short time.
There are not many people here that I just click with, but Alan has been one of those people.
He left this morning to be released later this week from Huntsville, down near Houston. I don't know who will replace him in my cell, but I pray it will be someone I can share life with in a similar way. I wish Alan the fortitude to say "yes" to the things he needs to be involved in and "no" to those he must avoid. I hope to never be his cellmate again, no matter how great it is to have him around.
"Are you ready to leave?'
In the library I was shelving books. The question came from my boss and was directed at a guy standing by the check out table.
"No, I'm not ready to leave. I'm waiting to check out these books.
"You can holler at either one of us when you get ready," said my co-worker, who was also shelving and rearranging books.
"No," the guy said as he turned with a scowl, "One of y'all needs to be behind this table all the time to work."
Hearing voices escalating, I moved to the table to hurry this guy out the door before things got crazy.
"Man, we have work outside that table, too," retorted my co-worker, getting louder.
"You'll check out my books first."
"STOP!" exclaimed my boss. "STOP IT GUYS. NOW!"
"Shut up your worker's smart mouth first," mumbled the angry customer under his breath.
I quickly and calmly checked out the books and showed the guy out the door, hoping that he and my co-worker would not cross paths soon. For the first time in a while the library was dead silent.
Since starting the job in the library I have tried to fit work into my existing schedule instead of working my schedule around the job. This has not served me well in the sleep department. I have to be at work at 7 AM so I wake up at 6 AM to get in some reading and quiet time before heading out. This wouldn't be a problem except that Alan and I stay up talking till 11:30 most nights and I usually read for a while afterwards. I don't know why it's so hard to maintain six hours of sleep after doing it almost all the time before I was incarcerated. The lack of sleep is definitely taking its toll, though.
This morning I woke up at 6 to fit in quiet time before a quick haircut, then work. The haircut took longer than I expected and I didn't hurry out until 7:30. When I reached the library the door was locked and the lights were out. I thought it was strange, so I went to my coworker's dorm to see if he knew what was going on. I reached his cell door and saw him dead asleep. I knocked on the door to waken him and asked if he knew when our boss was coming in.
"Dude, it's Thursday," came the groggy voice.
Thursday is our late day in the library. We don't open up until 10 AM. Oops.
"My bad. Go back to sleep, bro."
Now my lack of sleep is causing others lack of sleep. I'm going to need to start napping after work to recharge just a bit. I can't have my head unscrewed like this.
The library here has one amenity that no other prison library I've seen has - inter-library loan. I'm surprised any libraries at all would lend books to a prison, but we have an agreement with the local high school library, which doubles as a community library.I used the Tex-share program when I was going to community college to visit the nearby university for research materials. Just like that community college, our prison library has weak selection of books. The agreement we have with the local library effectively quadruples our collection, quite a boon for a reader like me with different tastes than the usual guys.
I gave the system a try this week. When I asked my boss to check on the availability of a few books, only one of the five was in the local library's collection. My coworker had better luck with a few books targeted for young adult readers. Apparently they still favor high-school reading over sci-fi and non-fiction for an older audience. The book I got is on the bestseller's list anyway, so it wasn't a surprise to find that they had it. I guess other guys will gain more from the inter-library loan agreement than I will. It's just cool that it's in place.
We had a powerful worship service last night that could have only been God's doing. Late last week I felt like God had given me direction to lead a song that we had never practiced. I asked the choir director if I could fit it in at the beginning of the service right after we got everything connected. He was trusting and said sure.
Before the service got underway, I quickly went over the song with the keyboardist and other guitarist. I had not idea how things would turn out, but is asked the Spirit to lead. Through a series of last second decisions, the new song got bumped to the end of the lineup. Now there was even more pressure to not break the flow of worship leading into the message spoken.
From the very beginning, it was on! We sang an upbeat hymn followed by a couple songs in Spanish and a swinging gospel tune. The worship was more alive than I've seen since I've been here. I've been playing in front of people since I was fifteen, so I'm usually not nervous, but tonight I had to lead a song we had never played as a group following up and continuing a great atmosphere of worship. I was shaking inside.
I Peter 5:6 says. "Therefore humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time." I just handed it over to the Spirit and went with it. With my eyes closed, my hands strumming, and my voice singing, I noticed others joining in. How was this happening if I hadn't done this song before? Only by the Spirit. I really hope that the choir can usher in this kind of worship more often. I'm so glad God has blessed us to be able to lead others to praise him.
* "It’s the funniest, bunniest book I’ve ever read!"
