Okay folks, it's been a crappy week for progressives. It looks like we're going to be doing the Iraq Fandango for a little longer than any of us voted for last November. I'm trying to pull myself out of a full blown pity party for one at Casa 'Cedes tonight.
So, I thought I would reach back into my archive of personal inspirational stories and give us all what I hope will be, a pearl of wisdom to think about on this eve of Memorial Day weekend.
Tonight, I’m going to share with the Top Comments crowd something I bet no one here would ever guess about me. (Weezie, sit down and get your smelling salts out, you may need them)....
My first job out of college was in prison. I don’t mean some fun desk job either; I mean the type of job where I was in the middle of murderers and rapists for at least forty hours a week. For two years I rotated shifts through Death Row, "Intensive Management," the towers, roving patrol, the sex offenders unit, intake and assessment, and all other levels of custody, in both male and female prisons and the youth facility.
And I know what a lot of you are thinking right now: You’re thinking "Silvercedes, YOU worked in PRISON?" How do I know this? Because I hear that phrase nine out of the ten times I tell someone my job history. It’s usually accompanied by the person looking me up one side and down the other because I don’t fit the big, beefy correctional officer stereotype (I’m 5’5" and fluctuate between 130-140 depending on how much aerosol whip cream I’ve inhaled). I still get a kick out of watching facial expressions.
I’m a regular ‘ole hoot at my husband’s military functions! It’s kind of fun to watch a General sputter when I tell him I’ve "done time." I can spot and decode gang symbols and tattoos at 100 yards, which, I am told, is a GREAT party trick.
I can tell you now that those two years were the most valuable years of my working life. Because, in addition to getting some up close and personal experience with the criminal justice system and criminal behavior; I learned so much about myself.
When I left corrections two years later; I had acquired a steel spinal column, a bullshit detector, picked up some kick-ass diplomacy skills, a wicked sense of humor, a mouth that ten gallons of Chlorox can’t clean, and the ability to use that humor, sarcasm and some fast thinking to diffuse hairy situations (hey, when you’re all that stands in the way of a 300lb Aryan Brotherhood brother and a 300lb Black Disciples brother, fighting over how stinky their farts are – yes, I’m serious - you learn to think FAST and funny).
I also came away with credentials as a self defense/PPCT instructor and a firearms instructor; which was simultaneously my biggest failure and my biggest triumph. To this day, the targets I used on my initial firearms qualification day hang in my office. They have a place of honor right beside my diplomas and awards. I had them framed. I have never been so proud of an accomplishment in my life. It took me three months to qualify with a shotgun because I wasn’t strong enough to handle the recoil of buckshot. This would be where the value of weight training and a department sniper/friend (with the patience of Job) willing to take time to help me comes in.
But you know what I remember the most? Out of all the times I had to pat down a skanky inmate, and shake down a nasty cell, and diffused fights between two humans determined to rip each other apart over who got more jello, and got spit on, propositioned, and harassed; I remember the night before my first guard mount the most.
I went out to dinner with three other women my age who had also just started with the department. We had bonded and become friends during the academy training. The three of them were headed to administrative jobs. I was the only one walking into custody ranks. I remember telling them how scared I was to walk into The Pen.
My friend Peggy looked at me and said "Silvercedes, you’re stronger than you think you are." And you know what? She was right. I was. I still am.
And so are you.
So crank up the Gloria Gaynor, put on your hotpants, grab a drink, and scream "I Will Survive" at the top of your lungs while you're reading tonight's TOP COMMENTS!:
From kath25:
Last night's diary, Kossacks Under 35: Loneliness by OrangeClouds115, produced many great comments. These stuck out to me:
DisNoir36 and Albatross both describe their enduring, lifelong groups of friends.
OrangeClouds115 on the importance of making friends outside of work.
wayoutinthestix proves that indeed you can make just-friends in a bar!
arogue7 on how to approach people at social gatherings.
terrypinder reminds us to think before we move. And I think he's serious!
algebrateacher reminds us to volunteer while we have the chance, and relates a cute story.
From Monkeybiz:
Wiscmass sets up a great pun from cmnh in A Mad Mad World's "dKos Pet Peeves".
From madgranny:
groggy posts a dkos truism in the FP diary What Will Tony and Sam Say Now?
From AshesAllFallDown:
particularly enjoyed the comment by Mayan on their own diary "Key Portion of Goodling's Testimony Contradicted."
Even though the Bushies are loyal enough it's likely not to happen. . .
From Blue South:
It's the "The Profiles in Courage Renunciation Act of 2007" by Dump Terry McAuliffe
From peace voter:
With this comment, RayK cleverly responds to kos announcing that Daily Kos will be five years old tomorrow.
From Elise:
NYClib explains for us how Obama "should" have voted No- because clearly the No vote just wasn't enough in itself.
From Kathy in SC:
john07801 succinctly states the reality of education in the Golden State with his comment in Crashing Vor's snarkish "Damn Powerball!"
My picks:
Buffalo Girl tries to talk some sense into site members in Lucius Vorenus's The Official Daily Kos Roll Call: Capitulation Edition diary.
escapee talks about hope, and pacified tells us what we can do to help in theyrereal's diary, How I learned to stop being angry.
And Top Mojo- compliments of the lovely glorianna:
Without tip jars, C&J, and first comments:
1 I truly don't believe they think by vigilant meerkat - 223
2 Thanks and You're Welcome by bonddad - 185
3 Well, the Tans are already funding one Democrat.. by dengre - 164
4 They planned to do this from the start by InsultComicDog - 154
5 My god, they've fully adopted the rethug by vigilant meerkat - 138
6 The vet said that since the seizures by irishwitch - 136
7 "accountability and reporting provisions" by FishOutofWater - 116
8 I WAS a democrat for 25 years by pmob5977 - 109
9 No ceasefire until sometime after ... by Meteor Blades - 107
10 Indeed by sdf - 93
11 Which just makes whole vetoed bill by My Philosophy - 92
12 Lucius Vorenus by Lucius Vorenus - 87
13 I heard Dennis Kucinich... by STOP George - 87
14 Dear DCCC: by PhillyGal - 77
15 Rest assured,,,, by Miss Blue - 76
16 Like some acquaintances of mine said... by kharma - 72
17 More Depressing News by Navy Vet Terp - 67
18 this is like the return of W's post 9-11 World by sooner - 66
19 Phone numbers please by llbear - 65
20 Unsubscribe! If all of us do, maybe they will by lobo charlie - 63
21 eugene by eugene - 62
22 Meanwhile back on Isla de los Ladrones by dengre - 61
23 Roll Call, again? I'm still too shy! by PhillyGal - 60
24 I'm sick of it too by vigilant meerkat - 59
25 yes by Runs With Scissors - 58
26 show me proof otherwise by FireCrow - 57
27 My response to the same by Dallasdoc - 56
28 Yep. The Patriot Act. The Military by madgranny - 54
29 Didn't she say... by mayan - 54
30 how? by elmo - 53
With everything:
1 Totally agree by pmob5977 - 355
2 here i am...and this is why i fight by buhdydharma - 293
3 tip jar by theyrereal - 259
4 I truly don't believe they think by vigilant meerkat - 223
5 Thanks and You're Welcome by bonddad - 185
6 Even KO uses the last 20 by Granny Doc - 171
7 The Democrats are really clueless by jfern - 167
8 Hope this isn't too redundant by The Lighthouse Keeper - 165
9 Well, the Tans are already funding one Democrat.. by dengre - 164
10 Friday Tip Jar... by Bill in Portland Maine - 155
11 They planned to do this from the start by InsultComicDog - 154
12 Tips for by enarjay - 139
13 My god, they've fully adopted the rethug by vigilant meerkat - 138
14 The vet said that since the seizures by irishwitch - 137
15 Tip Jar by PsiFighter37 - 119
16 "accountability and reporting provisions" by FishOutofWater - 116
17 Tips, Flames, whatever... n/t by Vyan - 111
18 I WAS a democrat for 25 years by pmob5977 - 109
19 No ceasefire until sometime after ... by Meteor Blades - 107
20 Indeed by sdf - 93
21 Which just makes whole vetoed bill by My Philosophy - 92
22 Lucius Vorenus by Lucius Vorenus - 87
23 I heard Dennis Kucinich... by STOP George - 87
24 Tip Jar - 25 May by Jerome a Paris - 86
25 When are you starting the clock? by Bob Johnson - 82
26 You by DarkSyde - 81
27 Rest assured,,,, by Miss Blue - 78
28 Dear DCCC: by PhillyGal - 77
29 Like some acquaintances of mine said... by kharma - 72
30 Out of control jar n/t by A Mad Mad World - 68