Because I Kept Opportunity Waiting
Life has shown me the consequences of keeping opportunities waiting and taking my chances for granted. Sometimes some of us get a second chance. Sometimes!
Prison Chaplin Richard Hillman was curious. Two prisoners stand out in everything they do. They were disciplined, respectful, highly intelligent, and somehow managed to stay sane and safe. They weren’t in any fights, altercations, or anything negative with any of the other prisoners for the five years they were incarcerated here. As model inmates, they were the perfect candidate for parole. The only problem was they weren’t eligible.
Millard Health Study offered to pay them for answering one question.
How did you get here?
Ian Bronson was first.
I was raised in hell by a heroin addict mother. I never met my father. He got sixty years for murder and racketeering when I was two years old. No family members wanted the responsibility of raising me, so I hopped in and out of various foster homes for ten years.”
“So, the lack of parental love and guidance put you in here?” The researcher asked.
“No,” Ian responded. “I kept opportunity waiting. That was the mistake that pushed me on the route that took me here.”
“Why did you?”
“I thought it would wait until I was ready,” he answered.
“What break did you get?” the researcher asked.
“I had dreams of becoming a doctor. I was offered a scholarship to an ivy league university after I finished high school with hopes of going to medical school.”
“What?” flew out of the researcher’s mouth. “You were that good?”
He nodded as his thoughts jumped back ten years.
“But you can still be,” the researcher stressed.
“Nah,” Ian replied. “A dream without freedom is like a life without hope.”
“What did you do?”
“I killed three people for stealing my weed. When life hands you the chance of a lifetime, please don’t keep it waiting, especially if you are poor. In here,” he motioned. “I learned that if you don’t grab it quickly, it will move on to the next door, street, town, city, country, or continent.”
Jason Rosen was from a wealthy family who denied him nothing. Jason’s response was, “Opportunity refused to wait for me.”
“But your family’s wealth, position, and power allowed you many,” the researcher said in shock.
“I took them all for granted. Here,” he gestured. “Life showed me the outcome of my actions, choices, and decisions.”
“What dreams did you have?”
“I wanted to open my own restaurant. After I finished Culinary school, my father offered me the money. I took it and squandered it on drugs, girls, and parties. He repeated that offer three times. I forgot about my dream and wasted his money. During one of my drug-fueled parties, I killed three people. Now I am without opportunities and dreams. Take nothing for granted. When your chance comes, grab it quickly because it won’t wait until you decide if that’s what you want.”
This piece was inspired by a young lady I wanted to help who kept opportunity waiting until it moved to the next house. Life has shown me the consequences of keeping opportunities waiting and taking my chances for granted.
Sometimes some of us get a second chance. Sometimes!
Thank you for reading this piece. I hope you enjoy it and will sample more from some inspiring writers on this platform.
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