T. J.’s Story
“Man, you don’t know, Dude,” T.J. began. “It’s tough out there. Parole is impossible. The whole system is designed for failure. I just couldn’t get anything going. Nobody would work with me, and the people I should have been able to count on all cut my throat. I couldn’t catch a break. Seriously, man, I didn’t stand a chance.”
T.J. was my next-door neighbor in Eight Block for several years and we got to be okay. Normally, he is exactly the kind of guy I have a low tolerance for. Over a period of time, though, I decided he wasn’t evil so much as stupid. I kinda felt sorry for him. He paroled out last winter and now, in early spring, he was back. I met him with the same line I always used with these guys, “What? You missed the food?”
“It’s not like that, Dude,” T.J. insisted
