A few introductory words from one of our readers:

Sometimes our life path takes an unexpected twist or turn. It is our willingness to accept where we are, what we have at any given moment and transform it that determines whether we create a blessing or a curse for ourselves. Like an alchemist, Tom Brown has taken his circumstances of "iron" and transformed them into Gold.

I have been inspired by his example to examine what really matters in my own life. I struggle to find purpose, expression... waiting for something "out there" to liberate me from my own confines. No matter what the reality of our outer world looks or feels like, it is the limitless inner resources we can draw from to sustain and nourish us. Tom has not only done this for himself, but he has lovingly sent his ripples of insight, wisdom, and integrity out into the universe for others to draw upon. He has given me motivation to rise above my own limitations and reach within to "free" my own spirit.

It is my hope that Tom be granted his physical freedom again very soon. If you feel called to help, let us send our own ripples of love and support back and with God's blessing, they can become a wave that will make this happen. You may do this by writing a letter to the Board of Parole. Some helpful things to include are: your name, age and occupation, how you know Tom, how he has positively affected you, and why you think he should be released (Tom plans to continue writing and teaching).

These letters are important because they show that Tom has learned from his mistake, has used his incarceration time wisely to benefit others (in addition to writing this column, Tom has helped hundreds of inmates earn their GED diplomas as a teacher’s aide and has been a model prisoner) and that he will have a community supporting him once he is released. It is best to keep letters short and concise, but candid.

Please send them to: Arizona Board of Executive Clemency, 1645 West Jefferson, Suite 101, Phoenix, Arizona, 85007, Re: Charles Thomas Brown, ID# 140237, Parole.

Thank You...
An inspired PLW subscriber

 

TOM HAS BEEN HELPING inmates receive GED's for the past few years. One of his letters contained the following things they are doing in English. It wouldn't hurt any of us to see how much we know of spelling, grammar, and the like. So here is some of Tom's humor that we can use to see where we stand in English as spring unfolds!

Some Things for English Class

Poor Harold. He has written this letter to his parents about being a new inmate at Santa Rita. Unfortunately, he seems to have mixed up the spelling of quite a few words. Help Harold out by correcting the misspelled words in each line. Write correct spellings on the lines below the letter.

Dear Mom and Dad,

It's been a while cents eye spoke to yew. There are many things to right about hear at Santa Rita. Aye don't want to boar you or waist your thyme talking about the whether - it's been hot - so aisle tell you about a seen witch happend last weak.

Being knew hear, I didn't no we were to be in hour tent at count thyme, and I staid out several ours. The guard had a paned look and got reel testy over that. Of coarse, that didn't help my moral. Watt he said to me was knot complementary. It wasn't a pieceful seen.

The morals of this tail is: "No whose watching you." Please right when you can.

Sincerrly,
Your sun, Harold

How To Write Good

1. Avoid run-on sentences they are hard to read.
2. Verbs HAS to agree with their subjects.
3. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
4. Avoid clichés like the plague. (They're old hat)
5. Be more or less specific.
6. No sentence fragments.
7. Also, too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies.
8. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.
9. One word sentences? Eliminate.
10. Never use a big word when a diminutive one would suffice.
11. One should NEVER generalize.
12. Don't use no double negatives.
13. Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary.
14. Puns are for children, not for groan readers.
15. If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times: Resist hyperbole; not one writer in a million can use it correctly.
16. Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.

Weird English Language

We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox should be oxen, not oxes.

Then one fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.

You may find a lone mouse or a whole nest of mice,
But the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If I speak of a foot and you show me your feet,
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?

If one is a tooth, and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?

If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?

If the singular's this and the plural is these,
Why shouldn't the plural of kiss ever be called kese?

We speak of a brother, and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.

Then the masculine pronouns are he, his, and him,
But imagine the feminine she, shis, and shim.

So the English, I think you all will agree,
Is the weirdest language you ever did see!

© 2001-07, Tom Brown

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Charles "Tom" Brown was a successful investor who did very well in real estate, oil, and the stock market. Friends began asking him to invest for them, too. And he did. Things went well, and more people heard about his abilities and wanted to be included in the investment strategies he had devised. All went well until there was a dramatic change in the market. All that went up turned down, and Tom wanted everyone to still have a profit - his big mistake - as he wanted to be well thought of. Tom was accused of defrauding investors. Although it was shown that he had never diverted any money for himself other than a modest commission, through unbelievable mishandling by an incompetent or dishonest attorney, what should have been a one-year sentence became a 17-year sentence. At the time of judgment, Tom was 62 years of age.

The purpose of Tom's blog is not to dwell on the injustice, but rather, to show the incredible unfoldment of consciousness in a man who has taken this sentence and created a workshop of Soul and Spirit out of it. His words are designed to help us see into life and do better with what we've been given. Tom's Beyond the Wall blog is located at www.Beyondthewall.blogs.com.  If you would like to write to Tom, he appreciates correspondence.  He does not have access to a computer but can be reached via Charles "Tom" Brown, # 140237, ASPC - Lewis, Barchey Blue - D2 - E5, P.O.Box 3200, Buckeye, AZ, 85326.