More than thirty years ago, my educational experiences included being a facilitator for a clerical procedures course at a women's minimum/medium correctional facility/campus in Central Pennsylvania. As my anticipated arrival time edged closer and closer for my very first class session, my thoughts drifted as to why my instructional expertise was being requested in such an environment. My anxiety level was reaching a new level because of my concern that my presence would be unaccepted by the women in blue and white. However, as my arrival time reached 9:00 am at the parking lot of the women's correctional campus, my thoughts were to turn back and to avoid this type of experience even for a short time. However, at my arrival past the entrance gate and directed toward the educational building, my hesitancy was diminishing because this was my responsibility to provide a positive opportunity to a group of women who could benefit from this special training prior to their parole date.
When my feet as well as the rest of my body arrived at the educational building, my attention was drawn to a special posting: WE ARE ALL LEARNING. That helped me to focus better for the next few steps near the small library for the residents of this correctional facility. At the next sign, my full attention and composure was enhanced with the following words: CAUTION: HUMAN BEINGS, HANDLE WITH CARE. That prompted me to reach out to each of the 27 human beings who were entrusted to my care for the next weeks and months. Individual name tags were made up for each woman in that class that spelled out her first name. The cage that was my classroom was inappropriate for the size of the class; however, my enthusiasm kicked in to make the most of a limited situation. These women sized me up in the first thirty seconds, and determined that my message may be worth something to them in the short term as well as the long term process. Their ultimate successes remain unknown, yet hopeful.
During the next few weeks, many members of the initial class were paroled leaving me with a reduced class list. As the weeks continued and as the class grew more interested in the subject matter, many more women were paroled and sent home to their families and friends. As my class dwindled down to six members, we completed that class in style and in positive momentum to prepare these women for their next challenges up and down the LADDER OF ACHIEVEMENT.
For the 21 women who were paroled during that six months program, my opportunities to encourage and to empower these women to maximize their skills, talents, interests, and time toward furthering their education was worth the unfounded anxiety that first prompted my first class session. WE WERE ALL LEARNING FROM ONE ANOTHER. The WHO they were was more important than the WHAT they did to be incarcerated in the first place. Many persons make numerous mistakes during their lifetime that require a locking up experience that may be unavoidable. However, when the person discovers the WHO they are rather than the WHAT they are, this transformation can be an enlightening experience that has many positive consequences.
WE ARE ALWAYS LEARNING TO MAKE BETTER CHOICES TO ACHIEVE OUR MAXIMUM POTENTIAL AS HUMAN BEINGS. PEOPLE DO NOT CARE WHAT WE MAY KNOW, BUT HOW MUCH WE REALLY CARE ABOUT THEIR SACRED WORTH. The Dignity and the Sacredness of each human being has been discarded in many places throughout our wonderful Universe. We must rediscover that GOD DOES NOT MAKE JUNK! We must come to realize that OUR CREATOR MADE US INTO HIS IMAGE AND LIKENESS. When we destroy innocent human life, we are saying that we want God Himself destroyed as well.
Are we ready to admit that we are killing God when we kill innocent human life?
IN GOD WE TRUST takes on a new significance when we realize the enormity of our daily decisions to ignore, to discard, to deface, to hate, and to discriminate in any way other beautiful human beings MADE BY GOD, IN GOD'S IMAGE!
When my feet as well as the rest of my body arrived at the educational building, my attention was drawn to a special posting: WE ARE ALL LEARNING. That helped me to focus better for the next few steps near the small library for the residents of this correctional facility. At the next sign, my full attention and composure was enhanced with the following words: CAUTION: HUMAN BEINGS, HANDLE WITH CARE. That prompted me to reach out to each of the 27 human beings who were entrusted to my care for the next weeks and months. Individual name tags were made up for each woman in that class that spelled out her first name. The cage that was my classroom was inappropriate for the size of the class; however, my enthusiasm kicked in to make the most of a limited situation. These women sized me up in the first thirty seconds, and determined that my message may be worth something to them in the short term as well as the long term process. Their ultimate successes remain unknown, yet hopeful.
During the next few weeks, many members of the initial class were paroled leaving me with a reduced class list. As the weeks continued and as the class grew more interested in the subject matter, many more women were paroled and sent home to their families and friends. As my class dwindled down to six members, we completed that class in style and in positive momentum to prepare these women for their next challenges up and down the LADDER OF ACHIEVEMENT.
For the 21 women who were paroled during that six months program, my opportunities to encourage and to empower these women to maximize their skills, talents, interests, and time toward furthering their education was worth the unfounded anxiety that first prompted my first class session. WE WERE ALL LEARNING FROM ONE ANOTHER. The WHO they were was more important than the WHAT they did to be incarcerated in the first place. Many persons make numerous mistakes during their lifetime that require a locking up experience that may be unavoidable. However, when the person discovers the WHO they are rather than the WHAT they are, this transformation can be an enlightening experience that has many positive consequences.
WE ARE ALWAYS LEARNING TO MAKE BETTER CHOICES TO ACHIEVE OUR MAXIMUM POTENTIAL AS HUMAN BEINGS. PEOPLE DO NOT CARE WHAT WE MAY KNOW, BUT HOW MUCH WE REALLY CARE ABOUT THEIR SACRED WORTH. The Dignity and the Sacredness of each human being has been discarded in many places throughout our wonderful Universe. We must rediscover that GOD DOES NOT MAKE JUNK! We must come to realize that OUR CREATOR MADE US INTO HIS IMAGE AND LIKENESS. When we destroy innocent human life, we are saying that we want God Himself destroyed as well.
Are we ready to admit that we are killing God when we kill innocent human life?
IN GOD WE TRUST takes on a new significance when we realize the enormity of our daily decisions to ignore, to discard, to deface, to hate, and to discriminate in any way other beautiful human beings MADE BY GOD, IN GOD'S IMAGE!
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