19 years out

[AllisonMI]

Been 19 years out and still leading a cleaned up life.I did 5 years for auto theft,stolen a car when I was 18 2 weeks after graduating from high school.I was excited to come home.Did get encouragement from a few inmates too.I was 23 years old at the time.Had a talk with me saying I was young and needed to clean up my life.Found out they were like me,dad not in their life being raised by their mom.Also said my mom and I needed to work things out for the hell and disrespect I put her through.Thought about that and realized they were right about it.This was even from a few of the guards and wardens.My Uncle Felix was there to pick me up.When they said I was coming home,I was very excited.Got my stuff out the cell.Next step was getting that jump suit off and back into my clothes and getting what I brought in.The best part was seeing my Uncle Felix and hugged the two guards whom told me good luck on a much cleaner life.Got in my Uncle Felix's truck and we talk coming home.Asked me if I wanted to go back there and told him no.Also told him I wanted to work things out with my mom,he said that is good.Stopped at a restaurant having lunch there,had a fish dinner with a coke.He saw I was glad to eat something better than prison food.When I got home,mom was there and we hugged.Sat down and told her I wanted to work things out with her.Said she was for it and also apologized for the hell and disrespect I put her through.Forgave me on that.Saw prison life wasn't for me.Saw a family therapist and the relationship with my mom improved big time.Two days later,met my husband after I got home.He has been a great help heading my life in the right direction and mom has seen this.My daughter Heather whom is 25 now,she is glad I changed my life around and made things up with her.One was when she turned 7 years old,was there.She was a year old when I went to prison.I now have a good life working at an auto salvage yard as a heavy equipment operator and doing the fixes on repairable vehicles also fixing customer's cars.

[saskatchewanian]

That's really great to hear! I'm glad you were able to turn things around and it sounds like you have made a really nice life for yourself.

[LifeTraveler]

Congratulations for turning your life around and keeping it straight!

[AllisonMI]

I turned my life around completely.Decided not to talk to the people I hung around with anymore.My relationship with my mom is a lot better and we are like this now, .She wasn't too happy with my past at all,one was a phone call after I was arrested when I was 14 for assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest.The Sara Evans song,Saints and Angels describes what happened with my mom and I.It was rocky at times and now a whole lot better.Plus I have proven to her I changed my life around since getting out.Story with the my job at the auto salvage yard,the owner found out about me,he likes giving troubled people another chance seeing I wanted to change my life around.Taught me operate the front end loader at first and paid for me going to school working on cars.He is now retired and his two sons are doing it the same way with me helping out.