I’ve had to ask myself this question several times before coming up with what I think to be an adequate answer.
For starters, the question has to be answered from several different viewpoints, as, like everything else, prisoners fall into different caterogories too.
To some it’s just another day. Nothing changes other than the fact the meal in the kitchen will be good no matter what state facility in La. you go to. To others it means coming together with their family members and showing appreciation for them sticking with us through the ordeal of doing prison time.
Christmas can also be a time of the year where people head be smokin’. Translation: their spirits get down because of all the family bonding and get together that goes on for x-mas doesn’t exist inside of a prison. Doing time around the holidays is much harder than any other part of the year. New Years will roll around and who you going to count down New Years with? Ain’t no woman in here to kiss.
To the rare few inside of prison, myself included, x-mas serves a dual purposes. Family bonding (which includes the sending and recieving of gifts, visits, and phone calls); and it also a time to celebrate all the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now you don’t have to be a bona fide christian to recognize that fact. Thugs believe in God too.
I like to reflect on all the things that I do have instead of the things that I don’t have. It’s to easy to get caught up in ‘I ain’t got this, I wish I had that or so forth and so on. So I’ve learned to just be grateful for what I have.
I hope that x-mas turns out beautiful for you and your family.
If you’d like to send me a x-mas card/ greeting, or one for new years you can send me a ecard thru JPay.com Walter West #426915 (state La.)
or by snail mail at
Walter West #426915
Raymond Laborde CC/ C3 C1
1630 Prison Road
Cottonport, La 71327
