Week 10

Week in Review

Monday September 11, 2017

Monday began another week for us in Toastmasters and due to hurricane Harvey, we missed a few weeks of class. And to speak on behalf of “Monster” pod, we were all ready for class. It’s what we all talked about Sunday night, nothing but excitement for us. However, we woke up to find that we were on a random lockdown, so we had to miss another day of class.

We spent the morning waiting in the gym for our cells to be shaken down. Afterwards, we spent what was left of our morning cleaning up our cells and waiting to see what was going to happen next.

After our lunch it was time to study for our weekly entrepreneurship test. Being in PEP is hard work and we put in time, dedication and effort to make the necessary changes in our lives. Fall ’17, a.k.a. the Legends of the Fall, is one of the best things to happen to us and has helped us in so many ways. Our eyes were opened to all of our old ways of life.

We’ve been given the knowledge and tools to become better men for society. We’re becoming better sons to our mothers, better husbands to those of us who have wives and better fathers to those of us with children. We all understand that this is our second chance at life and the Legends of Fall ’17 are tackling it head-on, because we know we will achieve our goals of becoming the men our families and everyone believes we can be. God bless our PEP family!

Leonardo C. (a.k.a. “Chunky Salsa”)

Tuesday September 12, 2017

Today was another glorious day that all of us in the PEP program were blessed with. Even though we are in prison, there is still much to be thankful for. The majority of us here at PEP woke up this morning and realized how blessed we really are to have the gift of life. And also we are blessed with the amazing opportunity to be a part of this life-changing revolution called PEP.

Many of us today had computer lab, which gives us time to work out market research for our businesses, while others were catching up on their Microsoft lessons. What a beautiful thing it is to know that even though we’re in prison, especially those of us in PEP can receive quality education and skills. After computer lab, we were called out as a class to partake in praying-out a fellow brother who will go home next week.

As we transitioned back to our dorms, the Legends of Fall ’17 went straight into studying for Bert S.’s test tomorrow. Many of us are being Servant-Leaders and helping each other study. We truly believe that the PEP culture of brotherhood is strengthening with each day that passes.

Stefano C. (a.k.a. “Munchkin”)

Wednesday September 13, 2017

The day started in “Nancy” pod as a typical day. We are all PEP brothers and we live together amazingly well for being in a prison pod – we have zero disputes between each other. We did our morning rituals, whether it was brushing teeth, drinking coffee or otherwise getting ready for the day. Afterwards, it was time to do some last-minute studying.

Today is Wednesday, so that means – yes, you guessed it – Bert S.’s entrepreneurship class. It also means test day. There was a little nervous feeling in the air as usual on Wednesdays. As we entered the dayroom, it was evident that Fall ’17 is hard at work.

Some of us are a part of the Health & Wellness class, which I found really helps stimulate the brain for test taking. If you work out before a test and get the blood flowing to your brain, you’re more apt to ace it. In addition, we were able to watch a little PEP TV, and it was definitely uplifting. Keep it up, brothers, and follow this simple motto: “Breathe in the good, and breathe out the bad!”

John P. (a.k.a. “Lollipop”)

Thursday September 14, 2017

People are still recovering from Hurricane Harvey, but things are getting better. Some of our PEP brothers on the outside are doing whatever they can to help, and we keep them in our prayers. On another note, I was excited throughout the whole day, because today is my birthday.

We went to class and I learned a little bit about our PEP website. In addition, we watched some amazing spiritual videos and two good movies: “Greater” and “Invincible” on a big screen projector with a surround sound system. The whole experience had us in awe, because not very many people get the privileges that we do in an institution. It’s like they say: hard work pays off in the end.

Our brothers decided to make a meal for the weekend, so we thought about creating a pastry: sweet cheese muffin cakes. The motto was “go hard or go home.” In PEP, work is an important part of life, and it should be fun and rewarding. We always plan to make the best out of everything! The day was definitely a great one.

Arturo R. (a.k.a. “Cuddle Chicken”)

Friday September 15, 2017

Today was another long day for the Legends of the Fall ’17. We had an eight-hour seminar on “Integrity Selling” led by David R. and Steve H., which turned out to be pretty fun and informative. Even though we all started the morning a little tired and drained, we the Legends eventually picked up the pace and got the ball rolling.

We all have gained valuable knowledge when it comes to selling our products or services. We went through a series of exercises that allowed us to see who we are and how we want to be when it comes to our businesses. A lot of the seminar was based on constructive feedback by David. Some of it was a little harsher than we were expecting, but the Legends always rise to any occasion. We came to understand that there is a lot more to selling than the simple transaction of goods for money. We have to value our customers and fulfill their needs.

Steven and David were probably a little shocked at some of the questions that the Legends asked. We the Legends are here to make an everlasting impression; we came to conquer in all aspects of life. There will never be any class close enough to imitate the Legends of the Fall ’17. Legends, let’s rise!

Ho-Chang T. (a.k.a. “Sweet and Sour”)

Expressions

 “I have done so much with so little for so long that I can almost do anything with nothing at all.”

~Unknown

For many of us in prison, we have served several years of time with little to no support from the outside world. And in that time we have learned to adjust to pretty much any environment. We have become resourceful and conservative with everything we own, so why should it change once we get out? Like I’ve expressed to so many people before, if you’ve been in prison and you’ve given 100% effort in every job position working for free, then just imagine how much more effort you will give if you’re being paid. It doesn’t matter if you start off at minimum wage, because you’ll be grateful for the chance and to be rewarded for it. When you understand what it’s like to be at the bottom, you’ll cherish what it’s like to be at the top.

Michael G. (a.k.a. “Baby Simba”)