There is a certain human
instinct/behavior associated with those who have been in prison. Naturally, the
majority of the population fears them. People intrinsically fear that which
they do not know. Murderers, rapists, child molesters, home invaders and
kidnappers…. The speculation over those who have been in prison is always the
worst and most heinous. I cannot blame people for that. The reality is that
their speculations are valid to a degree and yes, there are many people who
have been in prison that they should fear. I live with them day in and day out
and I fear them. What does that tell you?
There is a fundamental problem with
society’s perspective though. When it comes to the general public’s view point
of ex convicts, we all fit into the exact same category. People who have been
in prison are stereotyped like anyone else and obviously that makes it
incredibly difficult to re-enter society successfully.I feel that I should be candid about my past; what I have done and what I experienced as a result. Deciding on when I should tell someone is the challenging part. I do have this blog posted and I do use my real name - but it’s not as if I am a celebrity or on TV. I highly doubt that anybody would recognize me walking down the street. I sincerely believe I will be just another face.
When I do meet someone that I would
like to spend more time with, be it a friend or a romantic interest, it’s only
right that I tell them after a few meet and greets. From that point, it will be
completely up to them to decide whether they can accept me into their lives.
I know there will be shock, judgment and
discrimination. I will have to find a way to accept that some people will not
be comfortable around me. Changing their minds may be impossible but, I have no
alternative other than to accept this inevitable fate.
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