Dad,
Have you ever read the book "dead zone" by Steven King? I'm not usually a Steven King fan, but I like this one book. The thing about the book is its theme. The book is all about the definition of the word "hero".
The protagonist of this book knows something terrible is going to happen. Everybody he loves is going to die, his lover, his child and his friends. No one else in the world perceives this tragedy. As a matter of fact, most people are unwittingly helping the tragedy to occur through inaction.
The protagonist knows he can stop this tragedy, but only at a cost. The cost is enormous. His act of stopping this tragedy requires that he become infamous and despised, his death being only a minor sub note.
Steven King's point and the theme of the book is that a real hero doesn't perform for money, fame or glory. A real hero does it because it's the right thing to do ... and no one else is available.
Quote:
Hello Joan,
In August, we visited my Dad twice at CTC in HDSP. My dad is confused and withdrawn. He does not wear his hearing aids anymore because he wants to "cancel out the prison environment". The CTC environment is horribly isolating and Dad is suffering because he wants to be around friendly people. He says that this experience is worse than being a Japanese prisoner of war. As a result, my Dad is giving up and dying.
The on-call Doctor told us last Sunday that the CTC medical staff had initiated the paperwork for a compassionate release from prison.
As usual, we are always hopeful, that my dad can die at home.
Love,
Nancy
#342 Newsletter September 18, 2007
©2007 by Richard Keech
Editor's note: Richard called me a few days ago. He was in good spirits and said he was writing me another letter which he would send soon. His typewriter is not in great working order as a (now former) cell mate had poured water into it. A group of other inmates who watch out for Richard made sure that cell mate would never bother him again.
#341 Newsletter July 1, 2007
©copyright 2007 by Richard Keech
Editor's Note: Richard has called me twice in the past 2 weeks. He said he is writing more stories and asked me to remind his readers that his fellow inmates are mostly drug addicts. As they are his only source of new information his newsletters will be mostly about them and what he is learning about them.
He says that Land of the Lotus Eaters is fiction based on fact and with today's story he is continuing the tale.
#340 Newsletter May 27, 2007
©copyright 2007 by Richard Keech
Editor's Note: Was happy to find this in the mail when I returned from my trip to Nashville yesterday. Richard is happily back in the quad with other inmates while we fight to get him transferred to a facility where he can have the care he needs, hopefully closer to his family in Southern California.
Again he is writing a story gleaned from his conversations with other inmates..a strange tale, indeed.
