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HeroicStories: Ripples of Inspiration
We received an e-mail on 30 January 2003, from a reader who confirmed
my belief that HeroicStories truly matters -- and changes lives. You'll
find that remarkable letter below along with my reply to it. Little
did we know publishing these two letters would touch off a chain of
correspondence -- that would eventually include replies from
unexpected places.
Read on, as we weave many letters into a tale for you. (All names
have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals
involved.)
First Contact
"Hal" wrote:
Thanks for the excellent work you've done -- I know
HeroicStories has inspired many people. I've been sending your
stories to some prisoners I write on a regular basis. This prison
system bans "all material from the Internet" as contraband in
letters to prisoners, so I put the stories into the body of my
letters.
The stories have inspired the three men I write to, and
through them many others. When one of them was in isolation, he
asked a guard to share HeroicStories with other men in isolation,
and he soon earned the title "Angel of the Isolation Unit." I
really hope that I have not violated your copyright by doing
this. If you want me to stop, I will, but I really hope you will
allow me to continue to share these inspirational stories with
these men. When they are released from prison, I will make sure
they subscribe on their own!
Wow!
I replied:
By doing this, you have allowed us to have the thrill of learning that
our stories are reaching into places where they are TRULY needed, where
we never would guess we had the ability to reach. Your actions make our
work worthwhile. When the rules don't allow you to be as good as you want
to be, always break the rules. When you can help more people by breaking
the rules, always break the rules. Thank you for the inspiration to act
with so much insight and compassion towards your fellow human beings.
Words of Caution
One reader had misgivings when he read about HeroicStories being sent to
prisoners, though.
"Bill" wrote:
The person who wrote about sending HeroicStories to criminals is making
a huge mistake. The mistake is not in forwarding the stories, but in
including the names of the authors. Doesn't this person know what
criminals will do with this kind of information? I had been considering
submitting an article to HeroicStories, but not if this information is
going to help a criminal target me."
I replied:
Hm. We believe that we protect our authors' privacy quite well by only
publishing their names and states. We also withhold names if authors have a
good reason.
But I'd like to focus on another aspect of this comment, the assumption
behind the question: "Doesn't this person know what criminals will do
with this kind of information?" This statement seems to assume that the
prisoners are beyond the reach of a normal human reaction to HS. That the
only reaction anyone in jail would have to the stories is to see them
as containing nuggets of information to use to swindle people (for which
one would think the local newspapers would provide more readily
accessible targets.)
There are a lot of programs helping prisoners to "rehabilitate"
themselves. Real prisoners really do that, come out and lead regular
lives, turn their backs on crime. And in my opinion, the rest of us
ought to be cheering for that to happen more often. Because the more
often it does happen, the better society we have. It seems there is
an unwritten rule in society that the minute someone is in prison we
judge them as worthless people who can be given up on entirely. Maybe
that's a judgement worth examining, a judgement that does society as
a whole more harm than good.
So this conversation can be based on what HeroicStories actually
means to the prisoners themselves, I've asked the fellow who
writes them to ask them.
Hal promised to write his three prisoner pen-pals. He asked them
"What do you feel about the authors who share their
HeroicStories? And specifically, how do you use or view these
inspirational stories?" He warned us it might take some time, as
their correspondence was via "snail mail".
The First Prisoner Replies
Amazingly, only four days later we heard back from Hal; on 14 February,
2003 -- Valentine's Day in the USA. The "Angel of the Isolation Unit" had
replied, and Hal transcribed the response.
My name is Matthew. On February 18th, 2003 I will be released after
serving a six year and one month sentence. In spite of what you read and
see on TV, there is a reality that could only be expressed by those who
travel this self-made journey.
Prison is the conception of ugliness. It is complete grayness, grayness
in walls and clothing and even in food. And eventually the grayness in
the skin of the old cons, and a grayness of the soul. Dismal, gloomy. No
bright colors there, no music, no real laughter or song, no beauty
anywhere. Just hard gray ugliness that seeps and presses all around us.
There's no bottom, no way to stop the continuing fall, or so I thought.
I don't remember the date I read my first HeroicStory. What I do remember
is stopping my fall and feeling happiness again. My grayness had been
penetrated by stories of honesty, openness, kindness, and above all love.
My focus was changed by the wonderful feeling the stories generated. But
more amazing was my need to understand as well as keep these wonderful
emotions alive in my life.
I hadn't cried since I was a little boy, and there was a lot of pain
within me. One day I read a story and the tears wouldn't stop. But with
those tears came forgiveness for all I have done to myself, and all the
pain I have caused others.
Over the years Hal has sent me hundreds of these stories, and I have
passed them on so that others could stop their fall into this grayness.
They taught me that life has its good days and not so good days, but if
one has a foundation built on honesty, kindness, openness, and love, the
sun shines again very very soon. Thanks, HeroicStories, for being there
and stopping my fall.
Please note: Matthew wrote this letter on 12 February 2003 -- and he
was to be released from prison on 18 February 2003, six days
later.
A Slight Detour
While we waited to hear back from the other two prisoner pen-pals, our
story took a slight detour. Our Comments section keeps us busy, and on
18 February 2003, the day Matthew was released, we received the
following letter from a reader, titled "HS Keeps Me Going".
"Annelle" writes:
I subscribed to HS in summer 2001 and so saw the wonderful support
everyone gave one another after September 11. HS has brought tears to my
eyes many times since then. It's been a very good thing to have such a
powerful reminder of the good things people do for one another. I
recently lost a loved one to murder. I need all the help I can get, and
one of the things that keeps me going is the community of heroism that I
see in HS. When I start to despair, which happens quite a bit, I have the
option of re-reading one of your recent issues that's still lying around
in my inbox. I then see again that while there is hatred and violence in
the world, there is also love and kindness and good. Thanks.
Having the incredible letter from "The Angel of Isolation" in hand, I
replied to Annelle, telling her we had just received a letter that might
make her feel better. I couldn't guarantee it would help, but would send
it (with personal information removed) if she was interested. "Yes," she
replied.
Annelle replied:
Thanks to you, Anonymous Prisoner.
In some ways, it is strange that in my present circumstances I could find
comfort in the words of someone in your position. Yet, really, it's not
strange at all. We are all in this together. We are all human. And we can
all benefit from sharing love with one another. Thanks for being such a
powerful reminder of everything we have in common.
HeroicStories, thanks for sharing this. There's a long road ahead, but it
is good to have company.
More Prisoner Replies
The second prisoner, "Kenneth," replied to Hal:
"Tell HeroicStories I really enjoy all of their stories. Reading
their stories have changed the way I think. I view things differently. I
know I can make a change for the better. Reading HeroicStories and all
the inspirational stories really do help me -- and my over all view of
things. I would love to continue receiving the HeroicStories, and all the
humor you come up with. Tell them congratulations for a job very well
done."
And the third prisoner, "Curtis":
I've never given much thought to the authors of the "Heroic Stories" you
send. Thinking about them now, I admire their writing skills and their
ability to express themselves. I appreciate that they choose to share
their positive experiences, many of which help to renew my faith in the
basic goodness that resides in each of us.
Being incarcerated, I'm around a lot of negative attitudes on a daily
basis. At times I find it difficult to see the good in those around me,
and in myself. The stories help in reminding me to look for the goodness
in myself and my fellow human beings. They inspire me to be less selfish
and more considerate of others.
They help me keep in mind that a single kind word or act, regardless of
how insignificant it may seem to be, creates a ripple effect that has a
positive and lasting impact on the lives of many. I find many of the
stories so inspirational that I'll pass them along to others on my unit.
When I was back in [another institution] [my friend] looked forward to
your letters, which included many inspirational stories, just as much as
I did.
The Story Continues: Background from Hal
When we originally wrote Hal asking permission to publish his words,
he said: "You're welcome to quote me -- I'd be grateful if what I do
would help inspire someone else to reach out to those who really need
inspiration. I've been involved locally with an organization which
works with prisoners during their pre-release process, and follows up
with them through employment, housing, support groups and social
activities. It's a wonderful project with a really good success rate."
Later he provided more information about how he got started writing
these men. He met Curtis through work, and when Curtis was going to
be sent to jail, Hal promised to write him daily. Curtis shared Hal's
letters with Matthew, who wrote Hal a thank-you note.
Hal wrote:
Matthew was alienated from his family at that point -- and the
letters I wrote to his friend Curtis were the only mail either of
them ever got.
On 16 February 2003, Hal added:
I just talked with Matthew, but only told him that we would talk in
detail on Tuesday February 18. I'll tell him the whole story of
Annelle's letter and our exchanges after I pick him up at prison. I'm
spending the day with him, taking him to get his state photo ID so
that he can get on the plane to go back to his family, taking him
shopping for some clothes (that won't be gray!), and taking him to a
Chinese restaurant. He said he's been craving Chinese food with fresh
vegetables, after years of canned vegetable in the prison.
Talking to Matthew on the phone? Picking him up at prison? Are you
surprised to hear this? I was astonished -- and impressed
that Hal would take these extra steps.
March 2006: We Have a Brief Update
After leaving prison Matthew reconciled with his family, completed courses at
a Culinary Institute, and is still working in that field... fulfilling his pledge
to become another "co-conspirator to make the world a better place".
Write us at our Comments address with your reactions to this page,
and please send us links to programs that truly are helping prisoners.
You Can Reach Out, Too
Would you like to learn more about issues facing prisoners, write a
prisoner, or get involved in a program to help prisoners become
functional members of society on release? Here are a few links to explore.
Want your friends to see the information and inspirational letters here?
Please send them a link to this page!
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