Serenity Quest

Have you ever been to prison? Are you in a prison that you have created for yourself? Richard Gere in the movie Red Corner who is accused of killing a woman in China and when he is finally set free you can see the look of liberty on his face. So I wonder those of you who have done time, what was it like to be set free? What did you learn from being locked up?

My prison was the spousal abuse of my father. I lived it for about 6 years from 5 to 11 years old and although it was a relatively short period of my existence, it was extremely traumatic and marking. Notice I didn't say period of my life but "existence" because I was merely existing just enough to breathe.

That was between 1977 and 1983. Papa was a criminal, came out of prison when I was 5. He quickly got restless needed the action I guess and goes into the "construction" business. He climbs up the ladder fairly fast and on that ascent others below who were jealous were trying to pull him down, Papa wouldn't have that!

By resisting he made himself many enemies and became unpopular, persona nongrata and had to be eliminated. I'll never forget the gunshot wounds they left on his face. All that time I had grown to like him despite the way he would bash my mother's head in and actually how shall I put it...loved him.

Once I set myself free from that prison I blossomed. I invite you to break free from the prison that binds you. Envy is a prison, so is gluttony and lust. So are pride, greed, sloth and anger.