🔵 By Katlyn Clayton. Photo by lauragrafie.
When you hear the word “criminal”, what comes to mind? For me, an image of a man with a ski mask comes to mind, maybe even a down on his luck 20 something running down the street toting somebody’s purse… never, in ten million years would I have pictured myself. A little over four years go my entire life was damned near perfect… Well, at least on paper. I worked hard, played hard, and had a network of family and friends that loved me. On the night my life changed, I can clearly remember the hour it took me to primp, pose for a selfie, and get out the door. I was twenty-seven, newly divorced, and desperate to prove to myself that I “still got it”.
(I still shake my head at that notion.) I found myself drinking top shelf whiskey, and dabbling in a few lines of really cruddy blow with this guy I met a few weeks prior, via the web. When speaking about that night it’s usually pretty clear to myself (and others) that something bad was about to happen… (hindsight is 20/20) anyway, long story short, this guy Dan kicked me out after he realized I wouldn’t be sleeping wit him… which left me stranded forty minutes from home, with a dead phone, at around 11 pm… I felt fine, definitely good enough to drive, or so I thought. Just before midnight I collided head on with another drunk driver.
Her name was Laura, jut like my mother.
We were both within two blocks from home. Neither of us made it. And one of us never will.
Until four years ago, I had a spotless record. Now I will forever wear the shame and label of a “killer”. I feel guilty even crushing bugs! Yet here I sit in prison… I knew better. There’s really no excuse, so I have no choice but to take this time, and learn every possible lesson I can from it. *sigh*
Today’s lesson is patience… just like yesterday… and the day before that. And the the before that, too … With endless hope, Katlyn.