Analysis Of 21 Years Lost: A Life Gained
Atze Atsma
Rhetoric 1030 21 Years Lost, A Life Gained
I can remember it as if it happened yesterday. I walked into the building, and went to the front desk with my family. We all proceeded to empty out our pockets into a bin and then we turned and walked through security checkpoint. My father was first one through the metal detector, and it went off. He tried to explain that he had his hips replaced, but they still brought him into a room to search him. I was next, and this time through the metal detector, holding my breath, I arrived at the other side without it going off. Nevertheless, they still pulled me to the side and patted my entire body down. The rest of my family went through, and received the same treatment as I had.
I was only …show more content…
I suppose I did treat him differently in a way. I recall my visits with him more than my visits with anyone else in my family. Part of that might be because all of my family was about two thousand miles away, so I saw them all, whether or not they were in prison, the same amount. He was actually able to transfer prisons, and move to Waseca, Minnesota, to be closer to us. He moved closer to my family because the rest of our family in California, did not all treat him the same. There are members of my family that never visited him. My uncle did not see his own brother for twenty-one years. There were people in my uncle’s life who swore that they would always be by his side, but when he needed them the most, they left. Even to this day, with my uncle being out of jail, there are members of my family who treat him differently. There are family members who do not talk to him, they act like he does not exist. Even though he has been out of prison for a few years, he has not been able to go a family function with everyone there. There are two parties, one with my uncle and one …show more content…
Going from talking to him once or twice a year, to as often as I want, is amazing. I can also say that without a doubt in my mind that he is a good man. I am proud that he is my uncle. I am proud of who he has become.
But, I also know that everything could have gone a different way.
My uncle could have chosen to hang out with a bad crowd. Instead of focusing on making himself a better man in prison, he could have been making plans with other convicts to deal drugs. He could have chosen to spend his entire time in prison, filled with hate. My family could have chosen to cut ties with him, and it scares me how easy it would have been to that. The people in my uncle’s life could have chosen to stop loving and supporting him. My uncle could have chosen to go back to working with drugs after he was released.
But none of that happened, he chose to stay on the right path and people chose to stand by him through it all. While there were times when everyone wanted to give up, we persevered. We weathered the storm together and came out on the other side better because of
Rhetoric 1030 21 Years Lost, A Life Gained
I can remember it as if it happened yesterday. I walked into the building, and went to the front desk with my family. We all proceeded to empty out our pockets into a bin and then we turned and walked through security checkpoint. My father was first one through the metal detector, and it went off. He tried to explain that he had his hips replaced, but they still brought him into a room to search him. I was next, and this time through the metal detector, holding my breath, I arrived at the other side without it going off. Nevertheless, they still pulled me to the side and patted my entire body down. The rest of my family went through, and received the same treatment as I had.
I was only …show more content…
I suppose I did treat him differently in a way. I recall my visits with him more than my visits with anyone else in my family. Part of that might be because all of my family was about two thousand miles away, so I saw them all, whether or not they were in prison, the same amount. He was actually able to transfer prisons, and move to Waseca, Minnesota, to be closer to us. He moved closer to my family because the rest of our family in California, did not all treat him the same. There are members of my family that never visited him. My uncle did not see his own brother for twenty-one years. There were people in my uncle’s life who swore that they would always be by his side, but when he needed them the most, they left. Even to this day, with my uncle being out of jail, there are members of my family who treat him differently. There are family members who do not talk to him, they act like he does not exist. Even though he has been out of prison for a few years, he has not been able to go a family function with everyone there. There are two parties, one with my uncle and one …show more content…
Going from talking to him once or twice a year, to as often as I want, is amazing. I can also say that without a doubt in my mind that he is a good man. I am proud that he is my uncle. I am proud of who he has become.
But, I also know that everything could have gone a different way.
My uncle could have chosen to hang out with a bad crowd. Instead of focusing on making himself a better man in prison, he could have been making plans with other convicts to deal drugs. He could have chosen to spend his entire time in prison, filled with hate. My family could have chosen to cut ties with him, and it scares me how easy it would have been to that. The people in my uncle’s life could have chosen to stop loving and supporting him. My uncle could have chosen to go back to working with drugs after he was released.
But none of that happened, he chose to stay on the right path and people chose to stand by him through it all. While there were times when everyone wanted to give up, we persevered. We weathered the storm together and came out on the other side better because of