3 More Days

I'll admit to having a strange fascination with the whole jail "thing." But fascination aside -- it's very hard to see your brother in prison.

** Disclaimer: I will probably take this post down in the near future, because it doesn't seem like something we need to share with the world. But as of now, only a very few people know about this blog, and I know all of you are aware of my brother's situation and are interested in an update. **

I ended up going to visit Rich with my mom, which I was glad about -- because it was really awkward at times. You get thirty minutes to visit with him...but just what exactly is the right thing to say to your brother when he's talking to you on a dirty telephone receiver behind soundproof glass, dressed in prison garb? Small talk somehow falls a little short, and most of the daily goings-on seem somehow irrelevant.

All that aside, I was glad to see him. He has lost more than 20 pounds and, to be honest, he looks fantastic. He's always been a very built guy, who places a lot of energy into keeping himself extremely muscular - almost too built, really. But after 27 days in prison he has really trimmed down and has been forced into quitting smoking, so he looks really good. This despite the Lyme's Disease, which he seems to be recovering nicely from. He was in a very upbeat mood, because he only has three (long) days left -- and he is going to be so relieved to get out of there. I asked him what the first thing he's planning on doing when he gets out is, and he said he's planning to run like hell out of the parking lot and never look back. Very good idea, in my opinion.

I was surprised that he's not in a low security area of the prison, given what he's in for. But he says he's mixed in with all sorts of bad criminals, including a new guy who just arrived to serve his sentence for breaking into a home and killing an entire family, including an eight year old girl. According to Rich, people who harm children are placed instantly into protective custody, since they "won't last a day" without another inmate trying to kill them. No country club here...he's in with some really BAD people.

He seems very committed to the idea of getting his GED when he gets out, after finding himself a better paying job. I really hope some good comes out of the situation, and that all this time he has had to think about his life brings about some positive changes. He could really use a break in life, just a little something to make things easier for him so he can start turning things around. I'm willing to help him in whatever way I can, but sometimes it's hard to know what to offer.

I saw his cell block as we were leaving. They have a pretty large common area that they get to come out of their cells to hang out in for a number of hours each day, and it was cleaner than I expected. I still somehow felt dirty leaving there, and I borrowed my mom's Purell to wash my hands and arms. It's just a weird thought to think of all the people that are going there visiting murders, robbers, etc. There were plenty of people there who obviously knew the ropes, and had been visiting for quite some time. I told the guard I was hoping not to have to come back.

I'll be really, really happy when he's out. Saturday can't come soon enough.