Big House Crew - Support Brothers In Jail

DAVE'SWORLD "BEHIND THE BARBWIRE" Issue #12 (I think) First Day of Summer Edition June 21, 2011 It has been awhile since my last addition of "Behind The Barbwire." So I guess it is time to get everyone caught up on what is happening in Dave's World these days. MEDICAL UPDATE: First, I am completely healed from my double hernia surgery. I am back to work and back on an exercise program. Summer is finally here and I already have a suntan! LEGAL UPDATE: It seems that my attorneys are getting a day in court to present something about the evidence. The court has not set a date yet. The attorneys are working very hard, and so are my Family and Friends. Thank you all very-very much... More when I hear more. Speaking of work, as I think I have already told all of you, I lost my job in the Hobbie-Craft tool room here at FCI Bastrop after 22 months because of getting the local newspaper involved in the situation concerning my x-cellie with cancer. (By the way, his name is Hector. I can now use his name because he is now out of prison. More about him later.) It was kind-of weird because when I went to try to find a new job, none of the correction officers that ran the work details would hire me. At first I tried to get a paying job in the Library and Education departments because I volunteer my time every week and teach the "Foundations for Freedom" class. It seems that the education and recreation departments (which over sees the Hobbie-Craft) are headed up by the same guy because I never even heard back from that department. Actually I never heard back from any of the departments I submitted a job request to. The odd thing is, all inmates must work unless they have a medical waiver. So Anyway, one evening I see my name on the "Call-out list" to go to work in the Landscaping department. That was the one place I didn't look for a job, but the one place I wouldn't mind going to work at. When I got there, I saw someone I knew and he put me on his crew, kind of as a favor to me because he thought I did not want to work. He was mistaken. After the first day, I was the one trimming all of the rose-bushes, (I was the only one who knew the proper way to trim them.) By the end of the first week, I was making out my own work schedule and doing a big share of the work on that crew and really enjoying it. The guy that runs the Landscaping tool room found out that I had worked at the Hobbie-craft tool room for the past 22 months, and he was trying to get me to come to work in there. I kept telling him I was not interested in working inside anymore even though I would make more money working inside. After the first month, and my first pay check of $5.95 per month, I started having second thoughts about not having a better paying job in Landscaping. I went to the "Big" boss and told him I was ready to plug into any job he had that would pay more money. He asked me if I was willing to work for him and not just be another of the many problem children that end up in Landscaping. Well, as things turned out I ended up in the tool-room after all, but not only that, I am also now the Landscaping clerk, doing the payroll sheets for about 100 inmates, and I am now also a one man service and repair shop for all of the landscaping tools. So now I have a good new job and my boss has a trust-worthy "inmate" employee. As of last week, the number one guy in the tool room went to a camp, and it seems the boss decided I was the right man for the job he vacated. So he gave me his desk and his position. So things have worked out for me in my new job. As a final note, the most I had ever made in the Hobbie-Craft tool room even after being there 22 months was $11.60 per month. Now after only 2 months here in Landscaping, my second pay-check was for $36.00. I have now got another raise because of my new job title, but I will have to wait until the end of the month before I find out how much I will be making. I never thought I would say this, but I actually enjoy going to work now. THIS MONTH'S NON-FICTION STORY: "Hector, Alive and Well" Now for a little bit of an update regarding my x-cellie, Hector with the cancer problem. Having Hector for a cell mate was a real wake-up call for me. At first I really did not want to deal with the reality of major sickness and the possibility of death in the cell where I was living. But after getting to know Hector, I felt very put off that the administration would remove me from the room and try to stop the headway we were making with Hector. As I am sure all of you know, one of the major parts about dying is that the sick person just gives up on them self. When Hector first came into the cell, he was completely lost and had given up on life. He figured because the doctors had given up on him, he was going to give up on himself. Something just kind'a snapped in me at that moment, so I and a few other inmates decided we weren't ready for Hector to give up on life yet. The medical doctors might not have been willing to do anything for Hector so we decided to try GOD. We went to the American and Hispanic Christian communities here on the compound and also the Jewish community. We let the Brothers come into the cell at all hours that the cell door was not locked to "lay hands on" and pray for Hector. There were times that the cell was shoulder to shoulder with praying men. Hector is of Hispanic origin and Catholic by baptism at birth, but by choice, he spent most of his 52 years as a tough street thug. He was pretty much tattooed from neck to feet, but the bottom line is, he is one of God's children and God was ready to listen to the plea for Hector's life. About two months after Hector arrived in the cell, and thanks to the many calls from a lot of you to the Warden, the B.O.P, and the American Statesman newspaper here in Austin, the administration finally moved Hector to a prison hospital unit in Ft. Worth, Texas. Last month, Hector walked out of that Prison hospital a free man after previously being diagnosed with terminal colon cancer. I talked to Hector at his sister's house a few weeks ago, and Hector tells me he is feeling much better and is actually gaining weight. Hector has a new outlook on life. Hector knows now that he is in God's hands and that Prayer is what saved his life. Hector has now given his life to Christ. I am sure Hector would be dead by now if he had not shown up in my cell when he did. I know it was not me or anyone else here who saved Hector, but I am sure it was GOD's will that did save him. I know because I was there through the entire process of Hector's healing. I saw the "grim-reaper" lying in bed with Hector day after day. I watched as Hector got weaker and weaker. And then after weeks of prayer, I saw a new light in Hector's eyes. I can now hear in Hector's voice that he is a new man, and I for one, thank God for that. you know, at first when we started helping Hector, a few inmates came to us and wanted to know why we were sticking our necks out for someone we didn't even know, and at the time I don't think I gave it too much thought. He was someone, who by fate, ended up in the cell, and he was a fellow human being in need, and I just happened to be the one that was there at the time. One thing I found out about going out on a limb for a righteous cause and for a fellow inmate in need was that when it was all over, I made many more friends than enemies. Even some of the staff thanked me on the sly. And now when I walk the compound I find myself responding a lot more to the phrase, "Good morning Mr. Burgess." So now I am back in my old cell, (and it has a fresh coat of white paint on the walls thanks to me) and I'm back in my old bunk with my own window and a view that looks out over a grassy field full of birds, flowers, and butterflies... ok, and skunks, and opossums, and bats, and huge ground hornets... and just about every other kind of critter you can think of! (oh, and by the way, my two new cellies are ok too.) As a final word to today's Non-Fiction story, I would like to say, "I was blind but now I see." With Much Respect, David somewhere in Texas... p.s. Thanks again for all the cards, post cards, letters, and magazines! You are all free to forward/share this news-letter with anyone you think will enjoy it. Also it may be posted onto any web-site that may be interested in it. You can read all of my past news-letters at www.davesworld81.com and on facebook but I do not remember that address. My Snail Mail Address is: F.C.I. Bastrop David Burgess 41278-048 P.O. Box 1010 Bastrop, Tx. 78602
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