Me, Myself, I, and Change by Franklin

This is how I think about my childhood to adulthood, the changes that brought me to my current
situation, and what I have got to do to change now and upon my release.
For years after graduating from high school (I graduated at the age of 16), I worked various jobs,
from a fry cook to a janitor. It is not as if I was dumb; I graduated with A’s and one B for a 3.75
GPA. I just did not know what I wanted to do in life at the time. Then at the age of 20, I joined
the U.S. Navy.

After completing boot camp, I was trained in radar and sonar and assigned to the Pacific Fleet.
Without going into a lot of details, I was tested multiple times over a three year period, each time
being upgraded in rank and pay until I finished my officers’ training. Once I had completed the
required courses, I was assigned to an Ohio Class Trident Nuclear Submarine stationed out of
Groton, Connecticut. After serving 8 years I was honorably discharged in 1986, retiring as a
Lieutenant Commander.

The changes from high school to various jobs to joining the Navy (which included changes in
what I wore, from school clothes to work clothes to a Navy Uniform), each brought a new
understanding of life from being a teenager to becoming a man.
Since becoming a civilian, I have fathered two children and adopted one. Talk about change!
Fatherhood is a responsibility that can drive you crazy and make you proud, all at the same time.
This is something I would not change, for children are a gift from GOD and a part of your life
that is the greatest of rewards.

Throughout the stages of my life I have been to many places, done fun and scary things, and seen
wonderful and not-so-wonderful events. The most painful of them was when I went to prison. I
lost not only my personal possessions, but family, friends, and loved ones – most of all my
freedom.
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Living in the prison system for any period of time, you can and in ways do become
institutionalized. So upon release, it can be hard to adjust to being a free person. With the time I
have done and when I will be released, I am facing a change that is in some ways scary but also
anticipated. There are many choices I need to make; one is to realize I am no longer incarcerated.
Another is to become reconnected or reacquainted with family, friends, and loved ones, to face
the pain I’ve caused them and others. I will be proving not only to myself but to those I hurt that
I am not that person who is going to do the same thing over and over expecting a different result.
It’s time for me to wise up, face my wrongs, and become the person I could have, should have,
and can be. It’s time to show that I am a person who is valued and can make a difference, who
can use wisdom, which means to use knowledge, good judgment, understanding, and insight. I
need to treat others with the respect they deserve, taking full responsibility for my deeds and
actions, living a life making good choices and not the one of incarceration.