Thursday morning, February 20, 2025, the lights came on at 5:32am, and I just wanted to keep sleeping, but today is a busy day for me. I sit up on my bunk to fold my sheets, and I see Mr. Rivero walking towards the restroom with his denture holder (milk carton) in hand. “Good morning”, I say to him as I am climbing down from my bunk to get ready. This morning we have commissary, and hopefully the officer there saw the email from my counselor. At 7:30 we have Admission and Orientation for the new guys that arrived, so my counselor asked the commissary team to see about filling my order as early as possible so I could make it in time to the chapel to assist with the orientation.
I push Mr. Rivero in his wheelchair over to commissary on the breakfast call, and we wait a few minutes. They call my name, and I approach the window with my laundry bag, and start bagging my items. As soon as he finishes I ask if they could possibly fill Mr. Rivero’s order so I can take him back with me, and their response was, “The email was only for us to fill your order, sorry”.
I walk over to Mr. Rivero, find him a backup driver, and I head back to the unit to drop off my items and meet with my counselor before we head to the chapel. I grab a small cup of coffee, and I see my counselor coming down the stairs from his office, so we walk together out towards the chapel. Several guys are already standing outside the chapel waiting for orientation. The counselor opens the door, I walk over to the far wall and turn on the lights, grab the A&O callout sheet, and start checking off names of those who have already arrived, to keep the attendance accurate to who was missing.
We played the PREA video, and I translated for two different department heads, and once it was over, I told the chaplain I was going to take advantage and clean the restroom while it was open, and then heading back to the unit.
Back in the unit, we are waiting for the Thursday inspection which will rate our unit and give us a score that will be used to schedule visit day for the following week, what day we go to commissary, and in what order we will get called for chow. As we wait someone finally mentions we will be going to chow first and when we return is when the inspection will be done. I sit down to read my daily devotionals while we wait.
From “Stand Strong 365 Devotions for Men by Men”.
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven”
[Matthew 5:16]
My new way of living my life. A verse I will frame and hang on my wall at home and work upon releasing from prison. Let the world judge, and let others say what they want to say. Always do good, and “let your light shine before others”, without caring what everyone else may think, and know that you are doing it for God, and in His eyes, we are exactly what he made us to be. Here at FCI Miami, some say I do too much, others take advantage of the fact I do what I do so they don’t have to do it. To me, I see it as doing what is right, and being there for others in a situation like this, trying my hardest to make this time as peaceful and livable as possible for each one of us here.
Nearly an hour of waiting around for them to call chow, sitting with Mr. Rivero, they called chow, and we went for our chicken on the bone, sweet potato and green beans. The chicken leg today was extremely large and overly burnt, took forever to chew, and we were one of the last to leave the dining room. As we get to the unit, we are being told to get ready for inspection, so we head to our rooms and make sure everything is in order as it should be.
The officers enter the unit and head into the Glasshouse. They walk room by room checking to make sure we do not have more than we are allowed to have and have our rooms according to their standards. One hour into the inspection, they search each one of us and send us out of the Glasshouse so they could search more profoundly, and as soon as they finish, we head back in to check our rooms. Thankfully my roommate and I have no interest in any contraband, and maintain our room up to par.
Count time is coming through, and soon will be calling dad, then heading to the chapel for tonight’s study group. As I set get things ready in the chapel, I see the first group of guys going to chow, and so I let the chaplain know I would be right back, and follow that group to the dining room.
It was grab and go today, so I took my tray back to the chapel and Mr. Greenberg followed and joined me in the chapel. We were served two hot-dogs, two buns, coleslaw, and a bag of chips. After the study group completed, we were all escorted back to our unit, thankfully we are all in the same unit. Once inside, I head straight to my room and grab what I need to clean a shower and get things going. I scrub and scrub and remove as much soap scum as I possibly can. It took me nearly two hours to finish this one shower, it was quite terrible. Now time for me to shower, get out, hang my washed clothes to dry, (since our laundry for tomorrow was pushed to next week), and call mom.
The night is over, my body is shutting down, I am exhausted, but tomorrow is another day full of activities to fill my schedule.
Thank you God for one more day of life. I give my heart to You Lord, Please teach me to be humble. I give my feet to you Lord, please help me not to stumble. My eyes belong to you Lord, to see Your Holy way. Help me to look straight ahead and seek You every day. With my ears, let me hear Lord every time You call. I give myself to you Lord and will obey Your Law. I give my hands to You Lord. I lift them up in praise and will worship You Lord all my blessed days. My mouth I give to You Lord, I shout with victory, I belong to You Lord as I am NOW living free. Please Lord continue giving me that will to continue doing good to and for others Father, without ever worrying about what others say. Amen.
Eduardo Luis Valdes
02499-506
February 20, 2025
22:06
