Spending more and more time thinking and planning for the day I leave here which is just under 4 months
away. I’m continually grateful for the friendships that have been forged thru the common bond of being
justice impacted. There is a group of us that are like minded, focused and come from similar business backgrounds.
I consider myself on the low end of that spectrum as what some of these guys have accomplished is nothing less than stellar. We share meals and activities together and I spend several hours a day with this group of guys. The core group of which I am one of has been dubbed by some as “The three musketeers” because we are always together. Before I surrendered in April I was advised to “find your people” and the core of that club is now a few members bigger. Having a peer group to relate to, sharing each others feelings, philosophy, a group of people who laugh (a lot) and are vulnerable with each other in this most surreal environment makes the time away from our worlds easier. The experience is something that, unless you have gone thru it, is hard to describe in a meaningful manner. This has recently been made evident by the series Band of Brothers that is being screened here as part of a class I take on the history of World War 2. If you have not seen the series it follows a group of guys from boot camp thru D-Day to the liberation of Europe. It is based on a true story and highlights in a very real way what it was like to be part of “The Greatest Generation.” The episodes can be very violent and Steven Spielberg does not hold back anything in order to give the viewer a first hand account of what daily life was like on the battle field. As an aspiring film maker who’s first and only animated short film “I Knew Superman” won awards at 19 film festivals, a NAACP Image award nomination and was long listed for the 2022 Oscars, I hope to bring to life the prison camp experience in such a profound way as Spielberg did with Band of Brothers. Please check out “I Knew Superman” by visiting the web link at www.danacrypto.com and watch the 9 minute short uninterrupted thru the ending credits for a twist that will make you think.
As anxious as I am to return and resume life as I knew it, there is a very tiny part of me that will miss the once in a lifetime opportunity of having so much free time and being unplugged. I have worries but they are different worries and maybe less stressful than you may experience in your daily life. Being plucked from society was a shock to the system and I would not wish that on anyone. Staying in the moment, making the most of my time, staying focused on the big picture and understanding this is not my life and not who I am has been key. I will look back at what will be a total of 11 months as a time for growth and expect that my best years, financial and otherwise are ahead of me. There is no question about this. I can’t wait to explain the details and inner workings of the prison system itself. This will help those who have never experienced it to understand why we as a nation need to rethink, reevaluate and revamp incarceration.
