"Who are people, but for their relations and relationships?" What if you were told that for a certain number of years, that you wouldn't matter, that you would barely be seen, heard, touched, acknowledged, or remembered? That you'd almost cease to exist in the minds and eyes of those that once knew and loved you, let alone the whole world? Basically your whole existence would become null and void, a black hole of sorts. How would you deal with that reality of not mattering and being the equivalent of a ghost- transparent and melancholy in memory, starving for attention? That reality is a slow death, because all we know and consider as life is that which we see, interact, and connect with. That time given of non-existence, is a coffin, with a person inside banging, screaming "I'm not dead!" yet unheard, and left alone. Now add the constructs of distance, time constrained and procedurally scrutinized visits, some visits non-contact which serve to slowly cut off emotional ties cruelly, and monitored phone calls that end with the reminding of your communicational mortality. What you have, is a life clinging to the scarce hope of relevance and love, before their mind tilts on the edge towards survival with only animalistic instincts, away from human emotion and bonding, due to inhumane practices in prison of limited contact. So my challenge to you is- if you have a loved one incarcerated, consider what your shelf life would be before you imploded from lack of love and relevance, then strive to reach out before that shelf life runs its course and be consistent. By sacrificing a little of your time and comfortability, you will help them remember that they are loved and they matter. Because a mind without relations and relationship, is not the mind of a better person. That mind is ailed and weak, suffering because that person has been separated from the very reasons we live and value life. Therefore, being released back into that same society will not automatically be a better experience, it'll be confusing, too fast, and hard to trust. After abandonment, loved ones won't look the same in their eyes, nor their deprived minds and hearts. We can all stand up, but besides taking a stand, the hardest stance in life, is Understanding. Put on our shoes for a sec, now what do you see? Now, can you deal with that view?
RUSSELL
Comments