The Book That Started It All

Here I was, starting to read a book I had previously abandoned to the basement. Little did I know how it would change my life! What book could possible do something like that? Dead Man Walking by Sister Helen Prejean.

I live in a northern state that doesn't have the death penalty. That's not to say we don't hear or read about it in the news. We will get an occasional story-- the one that made the "headlines" or the execution didn't go quite as planned. I have read other books about the death penalty, but nothing like this: a personal account of someone who befriended death row inmates and then was with them at their moment of execution. And so, I opened up the book and began the journey.

I finished the book over the weekend. In fact, I think I read it twice! It is an easy read and not too long. It left me thinking about people on death row. What was it like? How did they "live" knowing this was how they were going to die. I could not imagine! To give up everything... It saddened me.

At the end of the book was a small paragraph with the address of Sr. Helen's organization. I decided to write and ask for a name of an inmate. I don't even know if they do that anymore. It took about month before I received a postcard back. I had a name and a note which said "May 7th is his birthday. You might want to start with a card. Good luck!"

I looked at and reread that card for a few days, thinking about what to do. Did I want to even start something like this? More than likely he will be dead in a few years, I reasoned. How hard would it be to write a few letters and give the guy a smile once in a while?

So I took the advice I was given and bought a birthday card. I mulled over what to write for a few days. Not coming up with anything...oh, really? What do you say? Happy birthday and oh, by the way, I'm sorry? I decided to just write a short note, mail it and see what happens.

I waited 2 weeks and heard nothing back. Surely, he got the card by now! Why wasn't he writing back? I was getting angry! I went out of my way to be nice. I gave attention to the "worst of the worst". Someone society has forgotten. And he was ignoring me! That didn't sit too well with me so I wrote again. This time it was a long letter. I told him about myself, my kids, my husband, my town, my state. I told him about snow. I finished the letter by saying I wanted to be his penpal, but if he wasn't interested in writing to me, I would understand. I mailed this letter and began the waiting game again.

Let's Start At The Beginning

Do I start at the beginning-- how we met-- and work from there or do I start in the here and now, working my way backwards? I often think back to how we met, the day we met, even though it was by phone. (Does that count as a meeting?) That's a story in itself!

And then again...I often think of these past years. Looking back at everything both he and I have been through, not only together but individually. It has definitely been a long and winding road.

But I guess it should be first things first, so here goes...

I was in my mid 30's; he a few years younger than I. I guess you could say I was at a "bored" place in my life, although he wouldn't like me to use that word. I was a homemaker with 2 young teenagers. My husband worked long hours as a laborer to get us the comforts of life. I also had projects and causes going on in my world and was in-between, looking for something to occupy my time.

I was also a voracious reader. I guess I took after my dad who was known to read the encyclopedia if nothing else was at hand. Growing up, our household subscribed to 3 daily newspapers. The news was on our television as often as possible. (This was before cable and my siblings and I always joke how my dad would have loved CNN.)

I hated school but loved the library! Does that make sense? The information oozing out of that building was awesome! I could spend hours upon hours just browsing the shelves. I was becoming my dad-- reading everything and anything that caught my eye.

When the kids came along, they came along to the library! I signed them up for every activity the library had just so I could have a few moments to myself to browse. When it was time to leave, we walked out of the building loaded with books!

It wasn't long before I found the "Current Events" section and read my first book on injustice in the United States. It was a book about the Scottsboro Boys. I remember thinking, "surely, things like this don't happen now"! Or do they??? That book changed my way of thinking about many things: racism, the criminal justice system, our rights, etc.

It wasn't long until I read all the books on injustice and then began going to the bookstore to buy books that my local library didn't have. It was nothing for me to come home with 2-3 books at a time. I admit, some of them I didn't read. Some went to the basement shelf before their time. And some were read more than once.

So, one long winter day, I found myself without a book to read. I headed to that basement shelf to see what was down there. After so many years of reading and buying books, the "shelf" had turned into a whole wall, with a box for the overflow. I really needed to go through my books and either donate them or just throw them out. But that wasn't my thinking that day.

I rummaged through the box and -- SUCCESS!!!-- found a book I hadn't read yet. I remembered buying it. The cover caught my eye but once I got it home, I said "nah". Something about it just wasn't that interesting anymore. It wasn't long before the book found its way to the box in the basement. Now here I was, dragging it back upstairs. And just like the book about the Scottsboro Boys changed my way of thinking, this book would change my life.