Reality of a Prison Writer 20–E.C. Theus-Roberts

REALITY OF A PRISON WRITER 20—E.C. Theus-Roberts

                A purpose-filled life. I sometimes contemplate if that or purposeful living is more important…

                Let’s just call this part 2 of my ponderings on purpose. It’s a legit inquiry, not mere semantics. A life full of purposes on the one hand; and a life lived in pursuit of a purpose on the other.

                I like to think most would find “life without purpose is a waste” to be an objective statement. But what “purpose” is to be celebrated or which others deemed condemnable is where matters turn a little wily. Evaluating purpose is mostly subjective. I never bothered to consider how much until I came to prison.

                If you’re willing to step outside the predicament and be observant, you’ll  notice the truth of imprisonment. It isn’t the confines of a cell or building that puts you in prison. It’s the confinement of the mind. This is why people can be “in prison” even though they’re free; a lot of people are snugly incarcerated these days.

                In prison proper you see every genus of purpose. Many are mercenary, like Marilyn Monroe in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” Money is their only goal. Financial gain by any means, literally. Some are more humanist with altruistic motivations. They want to help those around them or out in society or both. They want to change the world. A forceful minority feeds on tension and destruction. Without expressions of aggression, conflicts and violence they can’t function. Still many others fall in and among these broader categories.

                So many purposes. Which are worthwhile? Which are worthless?

                For most, the merit of any purpose is found in its significance, the value it adds to someone’s life. I don’t think economic or materialistic values count in this equation, but that may just be me… All value adjustments aside, I will say this:

                Whether purpose-filled or purposeful, behind bars or roaming free. I doubt life can have any meaning whatsoever if we’re just stuck in the rat race. After all, it’s a race nobody’s ever won.