6 Life Lessons I Learned From Being in Prison
In 1997, I found myself in “Old Folsom,” a violent maximum-security prison in northern California. Even though I’d been a drug dealer and grew up in violent environments, I still had to endure the learning curve of prison.
Being in prison for the first time is like being thrown into a swimming pool that has no shallow end.
You have to constantly watch your surroundings. While you’re watching others, they’re watching you. Many inmates can smell weakness like a shark smells an infinitesimal amount of blood thousands of feet away.
And if the wrong people think you’re weak, you’re in deep shit.
You have to be mindful of everything you say and do.
Bumping into someone without apologizing can get you knocked unconscious. Saying something disrespectful can get you stabbed.
Stabbings, fights, robberies and other violent encounters occur regularly at most maximum-security prisons.
Although prison was arguably the most hellish experience of my life, it was the wake-up call I needed.
My prison experience undoubtedly taught me the best lessons I’ve ever learned.
