Let's give them something to talk about

Jeg håper noen av dere kan ha latt dere inspirere av hva vi skriver her inne - enten til å ta steget fullt ut og faktisk skrive til noen, eller ved å bare være litt nysgjerrig på hva dette er for noe. Det å skrive til noen i fengsel i USA... vel, at det er mulig er jo ikke noe en hører så alt for ofte. Om noen av dere nå har valgt å skrive til noen - kanskje har dere til og med fått svar - eller sitter og lurer på hva dere eventuelt kan snakke med dem om..; L har noen idéer å dele med oss.

Let's give them something to talk about

If you have been writing an inmate for awhile, you might begin to see a sort of pattern in his writing. Not the style necessarily but in the things he will talk about. He might write about the weather or meals or something that is fairly commonplace. Prison is a monotonous place; it is the same thing, day in and day out. Some people out there might get the impression that our lives here are pretty dull :), and for the most part, you'd be right. So what can you do?? I mean, you want to talk about things, get to know someone, not just be relegated to some form of mundania.

This is another one of those things that you, most likely, will have to initiate. It's okay; in the end, we'll love you all the more for it. Ask questions, get personal. Ask the person that you write whatever it is that you want to know, about the life in here, about life before prison, about hopes and dreams, whatever it is that you want to know or thing might be interesting. If you know that the inmate that you write has an interest, ask him about it. If you have an interest, tell him about it. He might get interested in it and begin to ask you about it. Ask him questions that require him to open up some and explain. These are the things that allow him to be expressive and allow you to get to know him. If he sees that you are interested in something more than his mundane life, he will more than likely try to tell you about it.

Another thing that can be a source of conversation are books. Does the inmate you write like to read? If so, what does he read? Is it something that you are also interested in? If you both have a good book or even a not so good book, it is something to talk about. This is something that can be a source of interest for awhile, especially things like philosophy or history. That doesn't mean you can't discuss a novel or something silly, just depends on what interests each of you.

The key is to get involved, and don't let things get boring. Writing an inmate, shoot writing everyone, is just like any other friendship, it requires a little effort from both parties. If you show a genuine effort, there is little doubt that the inmate you are writing will respond. Each one of us want to feel that we are valued, whether in prison or out, that our opinions matter, that we can be accepted for who we are. It is in these feelings of self-worth that new lives are made.