On July 31, 2009 my wife and two boys, then fourteen and ten years of age, drove me to a federal prison to serve time for illegally acquiring computer networking parts from a global manufacturer during 2001-2002.
There is no playbook for saying goodbye to your family and no clear road maps to guide one through the experience and humiliation of separation. Being away from my family was a crushing blow; stripped of freedoms we take for granted I was largely cut off from friends, neighbors, and society.
Seven years ago I knew my life had changed forever. I promised my wife and two boys that I would do my best every day, be a better husband, a better father, and a transformed man.
In communicating this, I am certain that my family would have left me had I not been fully accountable, responsible, and blamed others for my wrongdoing. Amidst a landscape of 900+ criminals, I had plenty of fear, uncertainty, and doubts.
The only path forward seven years ago was to rebuild my moral compass; to repair what went wrong, admit my failures, and find a renewed purpose in the future.
What did I learn from my incarceration experience and how does this apply to your lives?
1) When we rationalize and justify shortcuts as no big deal, they will be repeated again and again.
2) The slippery slope is an easy path to find: there is no place for arrogance, greed, and entitlement. They are truly dark and poisonous traits.
3) Be grateful, thankful, and humble each day. Our predicaments are not as bad as we think they are.
4) In the scheme of things, we are not very significant. We are no more important than a grain of sand on a beach, no more important than a drop of water flowing off our fingers. We better know our place.
5) We all have a purpose and calling of some kind. Faith in God and prayer can help us discover who we are, what we are all about, and where are we going.
6) We are all responsible and accountable for our conduct.
My friends please remember this: respect, consideration, and courtesy matter a lot. Treat others fairly, decently, and equally.
Consult your moral compasses every chance you get and monitor your progress.
You know the battle cry: do your best each day. No one can ask more or less from any of us.
All the best/blessings, Mark
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