This past winter of discontent fueled much of my inspiration to write. The Polar Vortex coupled with a steady stream of nor'easter storms, put a serious cramp on the available areas that the prisoners could have safe access too. The back yard containment area was under feet of snow. Any voyage beyond the walls of the prison required hours of preparation and cold weather gear installation. And the results of that time invested in installing cold weather gear was a few fleeting moments of time beyond the walls of the prison before, at minimum, one prisoner would become cold, loose a glove, get hit in the face with a snow ball, or worse, have to go potty.
The dreadful 'bundled up potty break'. Anyone who has done this maneuver knows. They know that this will require you and the subject to remove all winter clothes, get to the latrine and then reverse course as quickly as possible. All the while, a silent prayer is made but never answered-- don't let there be another needed potty break just as you get dressed to rejoin the prisoners. The other prayer is that while you are attending to one, the others encounter some sort of cold and potentially dangerous situation that quickly deteriorates due to the lapse in direct oversight.
But I digress. This was not supposed to turn into a PTSD fueled flashback to leave me shivering and drooling in the corner. No, this was meant to be an update of the past few months where I have neglected this space and not contributed any writing. I have tons of excuses, all correlating to the enhanced work requirements that a prison needs once the snow melts and the tempature begins to hover increasingly closer to triple digits.
Summer is here. School is officially out, a week plus past the scheduled date due to the harsh winter. The oldest prisoners have completed their first year of school. The youngest is about to turn 4. It appears in the last few weeks that the 'terrible twos' that lasted way, way into her third year, may be showing signs of weakening. Just like the Polar Vortex that seemed to remain with us to create a winter of epic proportions, our terrible two vortex is loosening it's hold. Not completely mind you, but there are rays of hope shining through.
Today is Father's Day. Or-- the day that everyone says nice things about dads and where moms allow us to do virtually nothing all day while quietly cursing the day and counting down the minutes until it is over so that lazy man can be cursed at again for not doing what we are supposed too.
Digressions. I did it again.
The sun is out, the grass is green and the prisoners want to go to the pool.
Happy Father's Day everyone and thank goodness summer is here.
Until the next time I get a few minutes to write... Guard Out.
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