Grady Shares His Vision
June 6, 2010
Dear Friends,
Hope this finds you being showered with our Lord’s blessings and the Universe being kind to you as well.
I have something that I’m really proud of to share with you. After 40 years of smoking I quit! I smoked my last cigarette on November 9th. I think that it is a good thing although I have put on about 20 pounds. Now I am working on shedding the weight.
I am still helping to set up all of the Vipassana materials and meditation hall for the monthly courses here at Donaldson Correctional Facility. I have kept my meditation practice up since that first course in 2002 and catch a group sitting at least once a week.
I would like to take some time to talk about some things that I’ve heard that just aren’t quite right.
Everyone has heard me say that this (Donaldson) is my home and it is as long as I am here. I am a firm believer that you have to “Bloom where you are planted”. Please don’t take my references to Donaldson being my “home” as my not wanting my freedom. That just isn’t the truth of my feelings or vision for my future. I do very much want my freedom.
There are people everywhere that I believe could use some encouragement and guidance on their journey to living a more Peaceful and Liberated way of life. Yes, Vipassana helped me to experience a spiritual Peace and sense of freedom behind bars. What I want to share with you is that my life, like yours, is a journey. It is never simply one thing, one event or one person who defines who we are. I am not finished working on myself. There are many wonderful, compassionate people and challenging experiences that have helped me to become the man that I am today; a man that I can look in the face and be proud of knowing.
Every day I wake up to a world of crushing confinement, dehumanizing rules and routine, noise and horrific violence. Every day I look for ways to help my community and those men who still hold a spark of humanity in spite of our brutal living conditions. I have learned that when I reach out and help others, I can trust that the God spirit will protect and bless me.
This is a big, very big life lesson. I have come to know that a life with purpose and compassion returns gifts beyond compare. And, Vipassana meditation has given me the tools to maintain my equanimity, acceptance and spirit of good will.
I honestly believe that I can inspire others to not only want this better way of life but give them a simple “with practice” way to achieve it. I have helped and mentored a good number of men here and I believe that given the opportunity (my freedom), I can be a source of encouragement and reflect the true spirit of God’s redemptive grace.
Some people limit the power of vision to what their eyes can see. I believe, however, that vision is divine inspiration of what is yet to be.
I need your help in my quest to attain and live the truth of this vision of mine. I hold the belief and vision that that the world can be a safer, healthier place to live. My vision has shown me that my life has a purpose beyond the circumstances that brought me to Donaldson and that there are people who will help me realize this vision.
I need your help and support in order to achieve this vision that has taken me from the depths of despair to a life of compassionate service. Your donations to help my fund my legal appeals would be greatly appreciated. But, please know that my needs for your support and encouragement are not limited to donations. If you have information on effective appellate attorneys, appeal strategies, social networking contacts for promoting my web site, or service groups that may be interested in working with me, please communicate with me via my web site’s email.
In closing, keep me in your thoughts and prayers and know that no matter what the outcome legally, I am grateful for all of you and all of my many blessings.
Namaste,
