He sat directly across from me. He was in his late teens or early twenties. There was about twenty feet between us as we each sat on a bench on opposite walls in the alcove of the hallway in the courthouse.
To my right, his left was a long hallway that led to places unknown, I’m sure to other courtrooms or offices. To my left, his right, were giant double doors leading into a court room that I’m sure looked just like the kind you see on tv where people are tried for various crimes.
My wife was testifying in a case and I was simply waiting for her. I wasn’t sure if he was there for the same case or something else. I found out quickly.
He picked up the pay phone in the corner of the alcove and called someone. I didn’t listen on purpose. It was simply difficult not to listen as he spoke loud enough for anyone close to the vicinity to hear. “I’m supposed to meet my public defender here,” he stated to the person on the other end. There was some general conversation about how he was doing and then he uttered the phrase that I’ll never forget, “I’m hoping to get at least sixty days but I’d love to get ninety. Three hots, a cot and cable. You can’t beat it.” It took me a minute to process what he said. He was going to jail for some offense and hoping he would get “at least” sixty days. It wasn’t “I’m hoping to get sixty days and I’d love to get just thirty.” He wanted a longer sentence.
I had never heard the phrase three hots, a cot, and cable. That took me a minute to realize what he meant by that. Three hot meals, a bed to sleep on and cable tv. That was the dream. At what point in this young man’s life did his dreams get broken? I can’t believe that when he was little he laid in bed at night hoping he would go to jail. I hope he thought about being Superman or a firefighter or an astronaut or a professional athlete.
Have you lost sight of your childhood dreams? When did that happen?
Mine was to be a professional athlete of whatever sport happened to be in season. On a small scale I did get to live that out for a very short period of time.
I’d love to hear what your childhood dream was and if you got to experience it any way.
Very few of us actually achieve our childhood dreams but we continue to have dreams.
What are your dreams now and what are you doing to fulfill those dreams? Are your dreams sitting on the shelf collecting dust like an old book? Are you waiting for the “right time” to go after your dream? What can you do today to resurrect those dreams?
Do you have the courage to begin again to chase your dream today?
Have a STRONG and COURAGEOUS day!
