Meet GARY

This here entry is puddle-jumping though it might qualify more as a leap across the lake. The topic is near and dear to my heart if not an actual chamber OF my heart: my baby brother, Gary. A bit of a switch from Bermuda grass and lemon cupcakes. Though, he'd be irked by Bermuda grass and could inhale a dozen lemon cupcakes at once.

Where to begin with Gary? Well, besides being the youngest of eight children, he's also my longest running snail mail pen-pal. (If not for the advent of e-mail, that title would fall to my friend and one-time 9th grade English teacher.) E-mail has never been an option for us - not allowed in the California State Prison system. Most of his adult life has been spent behind bars in some manner, battling undiagnosed mental illness, addictions, a troubled past. But, he's one of the most intelligent and loyal people I know; I know quite a few folks. Passion, humor, and intense love characterize him most suitably. Last October, he was released from 12 years of hell on earth. I was there to ease his transition. For more than two weeks, he wrung every drop of life from his freedom that he could. I've never engaged more deeply with another human being than I did with Gary Wayne during our concentrated time together.

Now, he is in a fight for his life. I stand in the gap with him. It's life in prison with the 3 Strikes Law or a good chunk of time in a state hospital where he should have been placed eons ago. A victory for him could represent a victory for countless other mentally ill men and women mistakenly shoved into the prison system with hardcore sociopaths and violent predatory offenders. His countenance is most precious to me. By revealing his face and bringing his voice to the public, I hope to pay it forward as he wishes only to rescue the scores of faceless others on the brink of being labeled 'human refuse' by a blind society. His is a story worth telling. His is a story worth reading, hearing. His is the story of thousands in isolated bondage without benefit of a benevolent and understanding big sister.

He'll be a commonly recurring subject in this blog, perhaps overtaking it at some point, so he will flesh out as these entries move along. Today, I share a simple letter he asked me to send to a young woman he met during a court session this past July. She was sharing space at the same county jail. He sees every young person entering the system as a reincarnation of himself; he seeks to save as many as possible from the twisted turns his life took. The letter introduces Gary briefly, in encapsulated form, as only he can do. As most of his missives do, it sears my soul with it's sincerity, simplicity, and sensitivity.

Without further ado, I give you Gary.

Falen, Tuesday, August 5

Hey now. I realized after talking to you I didn't tell you my name. Tells you how used to talking to girls I am. (smiley face here) It's Gary. I'm 34, be 35 in Nov. (26th).
I don't write girls in jail. Haven't written anyone but family & homeboys in prison since I've been in here fighting this case. I got busted on Halloween last year. Created a standoff & tried to get the cops to shoot me. I've been diagnosed as bipolar II, & will probably go to a hospital, instead of prison again. I fell in '93, prison in '94, & I've had about 70-90 days on the street since. Just did 12 years flat.
I like to make friends. Most times it doesn't pan out, but sometimes it does, & it's the best. I married in prison in 2001, divorced in 2008. I don't think about getting in a relationship because of the mess my life is in.
I've given my life to God. I've known Him a long time, but finally I'm giving Him everything. I saw your little face & and it made me feel bad to see a young girl looking lost & in jail. (unhappy face here) Not cool. My niece Ashley is only four years younger than you. I'm here to tell you, Falen, that this ain't no life for you, & God can flip it all the way around. You're worth something to Him; a heck of a lot more than you're valued by the people who give you dope & use you.
That's what I want you to know. Jeremiah Ch. 29:v.11-13. Read 'em. That's what's up. I was a heroin addict for many years, in prison. Makes no difference what drug you use, inside or outside, you're a slave to it, & it is the devil's tool.
I'll be more than happy to be your friend, help you, encourage you, pray for you, & whatever else you need. I don't care if you got a man, 'cause that ain't none of mine. I just hated seeing you in that red suit, in a cage.
So, be good. Pray. use your time wisely, & move forward, ahead in life. Do you have hopes? Dreams? Goals? Write back, & I'll get back at you. Keep your chin up.

L8R,
Gary

-We're on lockdown, so I'm sending this to my sis to send to you, since I won't hit store til Tuesday.

Accompanying Gary's letter to Falen will be one from me. I want her to know he is exactly who he says he is, and she can trust him as a new friend. As a relative of a convict who has stuck it out through a great many tragedy and traumatic event, my acquaintance with fear and heartbreak is deeply intimate. Only my faith in One stronger than me, Christ, keeps me steady - if one can identify my present state as such. My eldest child is the niece about whom Gary writes. (Just minutes ago, she steeped hot tea for me and set it at my side.) Falen could be my daughter. She IS a daughter to someone: once a sweet infant who toddled into youth and then teens before succumbing to the deception of drugs. I'm giving her a face right here and now. Try and see her. Please.

"FOR I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU, DECLARES THE LORD, PLANS FOR WHOLENESS AND NOT FOR EVIL, TO GIVE YOU A FUTURE AND A HOPE. THEN YOU WILL CALL UPON ME AND COME AND PRAY TO ME, AND I WILL HEAR YOU. YOU WILL SEEK ME AND FIND ME. WHEN YOU SEEK ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART." Jeremiah 29:11-13 English Standard Version (ESV from here on out)