Me at 53 (Part four): 3/6/2013–3/10/2013

 [ I am back working through my prison journal. It is out of order… Well, the order is as I have opened boxes. The date in the title is the date it was written. I hope this is not confusing. What you are reading is what you get for your tax dollars. Continued from Me at 53 (Part Three): 3/6/2013–3/10/2013. sch 7/14/2025]

Why write? I expect neither these notes nor my fiction ever to see the light of day. These notes will take too much effort to type. Who will punish this felon's fiction?

I write because I can do nothing else with my time. I have things to say, stories to tell. They are my notes to you, I send sailing over the walls surrounding myself. I experiment with the possibility of communication. If they answer a question, edifying you in any way, then we can count the experiment a success. You know who you are, don't you?

I read Michael Eric Dyson's "Hip-hop and Youth Culture" chapter of Can You Hear Me Now?, and not sure if I agree with his thoughts about the positive effects of rap on our culture. Yes, I am white and 53. What I can see in prison have me thinking rap has a detrimental effect. I figure now rap is as banal as album-oriented rock and heavy metal were 30 years ago. 

I realize now how superficial I was in all my relations. This applies not only to the women in my life, but also my male friends. I feel fortunate not to be lambasted by one particular friend. I find another's silence and inactivity boggles me. A fellow from Richmond, Indiana would probably like to kick my ass, as much as those who have known me longer - and better. You think prison protects you from me. I think it protects me from the outside world.

sch

[7/14/2025: Continued in Me at 53 (Part Five): 3/6/2013–3/10/2013. sch]