Choices

The Choices in Our Lives

“You are free to make whatever choice you want, but you are not free from the consequences of that choice,” – Unknown author

Did you know that the definition of choice has two parts? The first part is the “act” to choose and the other is the “power” to choose. The act to choose means you make a selection. The power to choose means you have options.

Since I began this journey with Angola and the offenders participating in the Braille Prison Program, I have always wondered how these men ended up in this place. I’ve been so amazed by their commitment to learning braille. Honestly, I like them. They are smart, witty, and dedicated.

I made a promise to myself not to investigate their past. With today’s internet and the abundance of information, I’m sure it could be an easy search. The reason not to know their past seems clear to me. I want each of them to have a ‘no judgment’ zone. I really want to be free of any judgment. This is one of my choices that I am making. A choice between knowing and not knowing. The consequence of that choice is our classroom and time is spent on building a team of expert transcribers. This is a choice that I will easily live with.

I can’t help but wonder about the circumstances of each offender in my class that led them to make their choices. What I do know is that they each have the same consequence. A sentence of time to serve in Angola. Some of them may be there for life.

It seems like every time I start working on my blog it makes me think about my own life. My own choices. I have been blessed with an innocent childhood, a loving family, educational opportunities, and a career that is much more than a job. I have a foundation that influences my choices. 

Whatever the background, we make choices. The consequences for those choices can either be great or terrible. I guess you may think being in Angola is bad. You might be right. But I want to leave you with this thought. Good can come from bad. I think about the offenders in our program. As each of them starts transcribing materials into braille for students who are blind in Louisiana, the positive impact for our students will be limitless. I think about our time together and how much I look forward to it. Already I can see the good things that are coming.

I will leave you with this thought. Have you made choices you weren’t happy about? Have there been some consequences from those choices that you are dealing with today? Take heart, good can come from those bad choices. All you need to do is look for it.