I'm thinking about putting in for a job change here in prison. This morning may have been the straw that broke the camel's back. I would be sacrificing a good job as a teacher's assistant to become a tier sanitation worker. There are about 7 tier sanitation guys, and maybe 2 of them clean every morning. By cleaning, I mean sweeping the floor for about 3 minutes and then mopping the dust and dirt for about 5 minutes, making their actual work time a total of 8 minutes-- compared to my 6 hour-a-day job up in the classroom.
Now, I spend close to 18 hours a day on the tier, which is my home-- temporarily yes-but, it's my home nonetheless. I guess I refuse to allow the place where I lay my head to only be cleaned up for 10 minutes a day. I'm no custodian, but my mother taught me the importance of keeping your house in order, and I know how to take pride in a job, whether it is assisting in the classroom or cleaning toilets. In prison, jobs give you responsibility in hopes that you will learn the importance of hard work and dutiful living.
Unfortunately, the "piece of prison mentality" is that most guys don't look at work as a building block upon release, but rather view it as a burden while incarcerated. Trust me, I'm not doing it for the $1.45 a day pay, but I want to lead by example. Many aren't gonna like this, because hygiene is the last thing they think about, but every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it. Autograph your work with excellence.
Sunday is my deceased brother's birthday....he passed at age 28, and would have been 33. The next 4 days are his...I miss him earthly, but thankful for him Heavenly.
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