Rule number 1 for federal inmates… get comfortable being uncomfortable because just when you start to feel like you have it all figured out… the Feds have other plans for you. Case and point… I open my eyes early Sunday morning to loud shuffling outside of my door in the hallway of the unit. There is always some commotion out there at all hours of the day and night but this was noticeably different. I figured that I might as well get up and see what is going on so I hop off the top bunk and head out into the hallway to find what can only be described as absolute mayhem. There are 4-5 officers walking up and down the hallway and at least half of the unit out of their rooms… following behind the officers… barking questions at the back of their heads as they walk away from them. As the officers get closer to where I am now standing… outside my door with a very confused look on my face… the first officer to approach me says… “Horwitz. After count… pack your sh*t… you are moving one room clockwise.” “Ahhh… what? Moving? What do you mean moving?” I almost start to ask “why?” but realize how stupid and pointless of a question that would be in my given circumstance and just accept this absolute curveball and start to digest the reality.
It may not sound like a large task to “move one room clockwise” but when your entire life is packed into a tiny room with 1 locker… every single thing… from your toothbrush to the way your clothes are folded is in it’s specific and perfect place. Let alone the “feel” of your “home”… we become accustomed to the view out the window… the physical routine of coming in and out of the same room… over and over again… it provides a small glimmer of peace in this crazy world. Moving… really disrupts this comfortable flow we got goin’ on. But… how we feel and what we want really holds zero weight behind these walls so… moving we shall do.
As I begin to plan for my moving day within the chaos… I realize that I am lucky enough to have a visit in a few hours… which takes place right after morning count… so I better get my stuff in order now because I (fortunately) won’t be here for the bulk of this storm that is brewing. I try to get all of my belongings as neatly and orderly as possible into 2 laundry bags and then swallow the large pill of giving away a bunch of my books that I have already enjoyed but subsequently have been hording for the past year (the other guys were extremely grateful for this so well worth it). I am basically ready to go so I jump in the shower and get ready for count because due to the fact that everyone is moving at the same time… no one can move until the next guy is ready to move. My bunkie and I are moving into the room directly across the hall from us because we are at the end of the hallway… while I am pleased because the room is essentially the same (just backwards)… I am losing my beloved view of the outside world that my current room enjoys. Currently… we are facing west out of our window… directly looking at the Coast Guard facility and the hills of San Pedro… not only do I get to see the sun setting over the hills every evening but there is so much “life” outside my little portal to the real world. I see people driving… running… playing volleyball. I see workers coming in and out of the building to clean or fix something… I am able to live vicariously through all of these people but with my new room… I will see the back of the education building… rocks…. and Tech9… one of our resident cats (I know… I was very surprised to find 5-7 cats that live on the South yard) that loves to sun-bathe between the unit and the education building on this small patch of grass. So… a bit of a downgrade on the view front but such is life.
I throw on my Khaki suit to head to visit… pouring sweat by the way due to the chaos of the situation… and head out. I have an absolutely wonderful time visiting my real life super heroes and head back to see how things are going on the “homefront”. I walk into the unit and just start laughing… there are guys that have decided that if they are moving… their bed… mirror and shelves are coming with them! They have somehow… without any real tools… disassembled their beds… taken the door off the frame in order to move the beds out of their current room and into the room next to them… done the same thing in their “new” room and placed all of this “furniture” in the hallway…madness (but thoroughly enjoyable to watch for someone like myself who is not involved).
By the end of the day… the dust has settled… guys are getting acquainted with their new digs and the sun is setting on yet another commonly uncommon day here at T.I. Personally… I was taken a back a bit by how I felt by the end of it all… it was the same exact feeling that I have had any time that I moved in my real life. Prior to moving… I am dreading the actual move… so much stuff… so many boxes… all the headaches and the hassle… but as soon as we are moved into our new place and things are getting put back in order… I have that gitty… little kid on Christmas energy and excitement about exploring a new environment and starting a new chapter. I found myself looking around my new “house” (took about 5 seconds to scan every spot)… checking out my new locker… climbing up on my new bunk… looking out my new window… hanging up my work out bag and my laundry bag on my new hooks… I was enjoying myself and I thought (and think) that was pretty cool. Starting the day thinking this is going to be a disaster… ending the day with an adventurous smile.
Lesson of the day… control what you can control… let go of the rest and let the current of “the ocean” take you where it may because no matter how much you fight it… you’re going anyway.
Stay Healthy. Stay Active.
Embrace change… on occasion… the grass is actually greener over there.