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

The Last Freedom

IN MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING, Victor Frankl, a holocaust survivor, states, "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."

Daily, we make the choice of whether to see and experience life as being simple or complex. In many ways we have lost our view of what makes life simple and enjoyable, what we're doing here together. Think of the labor saving devices that have come along to make food, shelter, and warmth easier and quicker to get than ever before. Yet look at the pace many are living today. Where is the time that has been freed up? There seems to be less time for personal enjoyment, relaxation, enjoying being alive.

Recently in a prison dormitory discussion, inmates talked about what they miss most by being incarcerated. They were things like having a dog, sleeping on a comfortable mattress, planting a garden, eating ice cream, and wearing clothes that aren't orange. Simple things. Ones that are easily taken for granted.

We're hyped into thinking that the fun is "out there". The fun is here and if our emotional states don't agree with what we want, we medicate ourselves and then philosophize ourselves out of them.

When we decide to live more simply, we find that happiness and fulfillment are not "out there". This is it, and it's pretty wonderful if we take the time to enjoy it.

That we continue to have this last freedom, the power of choice, however irresponsible we are, implies a love huge enough to be eternal. The love that gives us free choice is greater than the love that expects only obedience.

When we use kindness as a meter for our choices, we're secure in the knowledge that we will not walk this barren land, for the warmth of our hearts will bring life to flower. We'll see flowers where others see only weeds.

The Dance of Hope

I WAS ON MY WAY to the prison visitation room when my friend Ed smiled and shouted across the yard, "Have a nice visit, Tom!" As I think of this one who will spend the rest of his life in prison and has been forgotten by the outside world - this one who never gets a letter or a visit and yet wishes me a nice visit - I am filled with compassion.

My mind goes to those like Ed who from outer appearances have no hope of a better future and yet are able to greet each new day with a smile. What is this quality that they have attained... this quality called hope?

• It's the daily bread that feeds the soul and breeds the courage to continue in the face of adversity.
• It's the extra heartbeat that gives us positive energy when our senses can't feel, hear, or see beyond negativity.
• It's the extra set of muscles that allows us to carry on even though our legs can't support us any longer.
• It's the nectar that restores our health when our bodies feel old and broken down.
• It's the extra push we give ourselves to bolster our reserves of patience and feel love when we find it difficult to feel.

Unlike expectation, which steals us from the present and pushes us down the path of disappointment when things don't go our way, hope is patient. It is willing to stay with us in the here and now and assure us the future is open. As long as it is present, we'll always feel a candle burning within us that's ready to light the world.

For the prison lifers, the refugees, the homeless, the oppressed, hope is a tonic that keeps them going. Hope is hearing the melody of the future and faith is dancing to it today.

It's dance time.

© 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.