There is a young lady here at Aliceville by the name of Simira Singleton. Simira is a mental health advocate and plans to continue on in this line of work upon release. I had the priviledge of working with her in various events here and she was a natural selection for the Peer Success Team.
Between you and I, she is one of my favorites. When I say favorites, I mean someone who I know I can always count on.
She thinks things through, communicates effectively and she brings this calm that makes her perfectly suited for her line of work.
She is now the Creative Director of the Collective, a role which I felt was perfectly suited for her and our group made a unanimous vote without hesitation.
Ms.. Singleton is someone I am certain I will work with in the future. She handles herself beautifully and directs the think tank with charm, professionalism and grace.
Yesterday’s meeting was perfect. The Collective had to deal with some real issues pertaining to a subject that prompts me to share in this journal entry today.
One of our mentors was accused of something that she didn’t do, and it involved a serious issue, one that we have dealt
with once before.
I have learned, from RDAP on up to Deepak that when we are uncomfortable in our own journey, we deflect and look for the grime in others. I use the word grime because here, I have a rule, everything we do here can be put to a test, it’s always one or the other, ” gangster or grimey ” . ( the word gangster being the old school meaning of by a rule of our society )
Here, and I am sure in all Federal Prisons, folks tend to look up other folks, I know some of the cases are terribly interesting but there are things you cannot unsee and really what we know is that this shows a gross misuse of one’s time and energy.
I like to say, ” we aren’t hiring a nanny so what does it matter ?”
The Peer Success has a code of conduct that disallows unkindness. How can a mentor be usable, approachable, able to create safe space for growth and guidance for the individuals in the community if they are going about the day looking for the error of others.
Suffice to say, one of our young ladies was falsely accused of looking up someone’s charges.
Simira keeps a close watch on all that goes on in her domain, and this is so admirable, she was able to bear witness to the facts of the accusation, and not just to smooth over the situation but the bring a space of emotional wellness and balance to the community in the aftermath.
This is who Simira Singleton is, an advocate for mental health who brings a calming spirit that reminds you of a soft breeze after a heat wave. I am so grateful to have become friends and associates with this powerful woman.
