Born into a family of abuse and addictions 7th grade education living on the streets by age 14 married with first child at 17 military at age 18 and out before 20. No jobs in the early 80s in Iowa, left a note in the night to my wife I needed to find work. With $100 in my pocket, I set out to find work. Found work in Kentucky doing carpentry. After five years I fell into addiction. Came back to Iowa and by the age of 30 I now had four children. My wife and I employed over 30 some carpenters building sub-divisions, apartment complexes, and commercial buildings. I fell back into addictions in the late 90’s. I left my wife and children and started manufacturing meth, barely escaped federal prison and ended up with probation for misdemeanors. tried getting my life right but didn’t know how. approx. 2004 I met a man who believed in me. We started window and door replacement company, and renovating property to rent. We did really good, but I fell back into my addictions. 2014 I inherited $400k, gambled and squandered 3/4 of it. Last 1/4 of the inheritance I used to buy large quantities of meth and lived the high life. This whole time through my life of addiction my wife prays for me. 30-year-old son accidentally killed himself, probably high on my drugs end of March 2018. I was arrested in May of 2018 at the Mexican border. I now look back on that day as the start of my new life. I do not waste this opportunity in my life to better myself for the others I may be able to help someday. I have learned so much while in prison. I waste no time of my day. I sit at my bunk every day with a piece of paneling across my lap as my desk. I study Spanish hours every day. I’ve kept journals from day one of coming into prison. I study for my real estate license to help locate property to buy and renovate when I get out. I study hard in the twelve steps of AA/NA. I do the self-paced Act Workeys program. Been through Threshold and Nrdap programs. I was one of twelve participants to attend Highland College welding program. This really opened my eyes to desiring a higher education in life. I practice typing on the request to staff and then erase. There are no computers to learn nothing of that sort here. Here at Thomson camp, a person have to be creative in ways to better themselves. I’ve worked in landscape and taught myself how to operate a backhoe. I write letters of inspiration to those I know who struggle yet in their addictions. I don’t tell you how to beat the addiction but only what I’ve come to be after beating my addictions. I’ve reached out to Adams State University but unfortunately, they can provide no assistance to me for schooling. My hope to get to Yankton prison to where there might have college courses available. For now, I work hard at bettering myself from yesterday for tomorrow. I will use the knowledge I have and the knowledge that I have gained since being in prison to build a real estate empire. That may seem a little far-fetched,but to me it is within reach of accomplishing. My wife of 43 years is still by my side to this day. For the first time in my life I’m a balanced person in life.
