Eldon's wife
11-03-2004, 11:25 PM
It took several miracles, including the kindness of another PTO member, but I met my best friend last week. I rode 25 hours on Greyhound to Phoenix, discovered visits from even an hour away can create great difficulty and nearly drove the staff at Florence’s SMU 2 to distraction, I know. However, we did it and it was wonderful!
Everything was haywire, of course. There were times that I had to leave walking the three miles from Florence out to the unit, times things did not work out for me to have a ride out of the unit, mistakes on times for visitation, and all sorts of other things. My boots would not clear the metal detector, so off with the boots 7 times for 7 visits, as I had no other shoes with me. Not so bad, if I had 2 hands to work with like others. Even that was good for a laugh, though. The fact that I was so worn out by the 3rd day that I was trying to dose off during visits was amusing in a sense too. Yes, everything that could go wrong did.
Despite the chaos, I was very blessed. So many people helped me that I could never thank them all. A schoolteacher picked me up and drove me into the unit early one morning that I was walking. Another, a man that was on his way into work, as I walked by felt so bad for not helping me that he signed in and got permission to come back out and give me a ride. I was welcomed into the home of a good friend and had a nice visit in Phoenix. The staff at the unit went the extra mile and more to make certain I got every moment I could. Even the assistant warden gave me a ride into town one-day that my ride failed to show up. It was an adventure to say the least, but the most enjoyable experience I have ever had.
My friend will never doubt my sincerity again, which makes it all a good thing. Even he was genuinely impressed by the consideration of the guard’s and those in the visitation department on our behalf. In addition, both of us were extremely grateful when a guard misread the visitation papers and put us in the room for a spiritual visit instead of where we should have been. My friend unaware I was in Arizona had no idea what was happening when they said spiritual instead of special, as he is a practicing Lakota who was not expecting a pastor. This was our first visit and, by a miracle, we spent it segregated from everyone else. Insanity became the name of the game and as for me, he figures I am crazy, but that too he calls a good thing. In addition, since he told me, when we manage to relocate me to Florence where both of us want me to be, he will marry me, I assume he must not mind crazy too much.
The trip only got better when I started the journey back to Texas. But, I was up to anything, after my time in Arizona. Somewhere, a couple of hours outside of San Antonio I managed to forget my bag at a stop we made. Of course, my ticket is in the bag, so I am laid over in San Antonio for 16 hours. This is to let the bag catch up, and wait on a bus that will not drop me off in a bad neighborhood in the middle of the night. Even that had its good points though. I got to see the Alamo and the River walk, which I had not done before. The rest of the time the employees of the bus station and other laid over passengers gladly laughed with me about my misadventures.
I was not yet home though, even after making it back to Beaumont to the nearest station here in Southeast Texas. My ride did not make it at 5:15 as planned. So after a 3-hour wait at the station, I grabbed my bag and headed for home on foot. Again, God smiled on me. I caught one ride a couple of blocks from where I started that got me to the edge of town, a second dropped me off at the end of my driveway 45 miles away. Then, a neighborhood kid that saw me start in the drive insisted he drive me in and carried my bag to my front door for me.
As insane as it all was, I would not change a thing. I was blessed with miracles, met many of God’s angels and saw many of his wondrous creations. As well, I accomplished what I had set out to do. I earned the trust of a man I want very much to help and brought joy to him as I did. Best of all, I learned I will give the support I went to offer my best friend as I intended, but I will give it to him as my husband.
I can’t wait until I get to go again in a couple of months. But, ladies and gents, I would ask if ever you are driving out to one of the Florence units and find a crazy woman, with long blonde hair and an obvious limp walking toward SMU 2, please give me a ride. I am crazy, but harmless, I promise.
Everything was haywire, of course. There were times that I had to leave walking the three miles from Florence out to the unit, times things did not work out for me to have a ride out of the unit, mistakes on times for visitation, and all sorts of other things. My boots would not clear the metal detector, so off with the boots 7 times for 7 visits, as I had no other shoes with me. Not so bad, if I had 2 hands to work with like others. Even that was good for a laugh, though. The fact that I was so worn out by the 3rd day that I was trying to dose off during visits was amusing in a sense too. Yes, everything that could go wrong did.
Despite the chaos, I was very blessed. So many people helped me that I could never thank them all. A schoolteacher picked me up and drove me into the unit early one morning that I was walking. Another, a man that was on his way into work, as I walked by felt so bad for not helping me that he signed in and got permission to come back out and give me a ride. I was welcomed into the home of a good friend and had a nice visit in Phoenix. The staff at the unit went the extra mile and more to make certain I got every moment I could. Even the assistant warden gave me a ride into town one-day that my ride failed to show up. It was an adventure to say the least, but the most enjoyable experience I have ever had.
My friend will never doubt my sincerity again, which makes it all a good thing. Even he was genuinely impressed by the consideration of the guard’s and those in the visitation department on our behalf. In addition, both of us were extremely grateful when a guard misread the visitation papers and put us in the room for a spiritual visit instead of where we should have been. My friend unaware I was in Arizona had no idea what was happening when they said spiritual instead of special, as he is a practicing Lakota who was not expecting a pastor. This was our first visit and, by a miracle, we spent it segregated from everyone else. Insanity became the name of the game and as for me, he figures I am crazy, but that too he calls a good thing. In addition, since he told me, when we manage to relocate me to Florence where both of us want me to be, he will marry me, I assume he must not mind crazy too much.
The trip only got better when I started the journey back to Texas. But, I was up to anything, after my time in Arizona. Somewhere, a couple of hours outside of San Antonio I managed to forget my bag at a stop we made. Of course, my ticket is in the bag, so I am laid over in San Antonio for 16 hours. This is to let the bag catch up, and wait on a bus that will not drop me off in a bad neighborhood in the middle of the night. Even that had its good points though. I got to see the Alamo and the River walk, which I had not done before. The rest of the time the employees of the bus station and other laid over passengers gladly laughed with me about my misadventures.
I was not yet home though, even after making it back to Beaumont to the nearest station here in Southeast Texas. My ride did not make it at 5:15 as planned. So after a 3-hour wait at the station, I grabbed my bag and headed for home on foot. Again, God smiled on me. I caught one ride a couple of blocks from where I started that got me to the edge of town, a second dropped me off at the end of my driveway 45 miles away. Then, a neighborhood kid that saw me start in the drive insisted he drive me in and carried my bag to my front door for me.
As insane as it all was, I would not change a thing. I was blessed with miracles, met many of God’s angels and saw many of his wondrous creations. As well, I accomplished what I had set out to do. I earned the trust of a man I want very much to help and brought joy to him as I did. Best of all, I learned I will give the support I went to offer my best friend as I intended, but I will give it to him as my husband.
I can’t wait until I get to go again in a couple of months. But, ladies and gents, I would ask if ever you are driving out to one of the Florence units and find a crazy woman, with long blonde hair and an obvious limp walking toward SMU 2, please give me a ride. I am crazy, but harmless, I promise.