Telling My Story was the light at the end of the tunnel for me while I was incarcerated. When I got out I had meetings and groups for a period of time, but the farther I got from incarceration and treatment, the less I talked about it. I talked about hard things with my personal support network, but lost my voice of empowerment. I was no longer talking about positive things; I was always talking about the negative and how to change the negative in order to function in the “real world”. When I was in the program, I felt empowered to tell the world that I had messed up and I was messed up, but that that was just a piece of who I am.
I miss that voice and I miss those listeners that really wanted to hear me, all of me, because they understood and/or wanted to learn. I think that having that sense of empowerment after the program is over could help those reintegrate into society and help them continue to use this voice that the program has given them.
My idea for this would be to have a part of Telling My Story’s web site dedicated to continuing to hear those voices. A place where past members and those associated with the program could share with others. A place to share stories of fiction or truth, poems, or even testimonials. I don’t know the exact set-up of web sites or blogs but I know the voice I found in the program, and those I heard, should have a place where they feel safe to keep talking. Feeling wanted and safe, in terms of emotional safety, I think is a key to keep us talking.
– Lindsey