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what I saw in my mind’s eye were all of the horrible choices<br />

I made and the faces of the people that I hurt in the process.<br />

I thought about the times when I coulda, woulda, shoulda<br />

taken action to stop this nightmare from happening, but it<br />

was way too late.<br />

Looking back, it was as if I was on a runaway train to<br />

prison, and every choice I made accelerated my imminent arrival.<br />

When I finally opened my eyes and looked around the<br />

filthy cell, there was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. I<br />

felt like the most worthless piece of crap ever known to mankind.<br />

My life had just hit rock bottom and I couldn’t see any<br />

way up or out. That was by far the worst moment of the worst<br />

day of my entire life.<br />

All communications between inmates and external channels<br />

are facilitated by approved volunteers since inmates do not<br />

have access to the internet. This program with Quora is part of<br />

The Last Mile San Quentin. Twitter: @TLM.<br />

282<br />

http://www.quora.com/l/boq-kenyatta-leal<br />

incarceration<br />

What did it feel like when the gavel<br />

dropped in court with the verdict<br />

and how have you changed your life<br />

behind bars since then?<br />

David Monroe, inmate San Quentin<br />

So often, we waste our time trying to get even with those who<br />

have hurt us in some way, completely ignoring those who have<br />

helped us in some way. I had made this mistake so many times<br />

in my life that it became a normal function. I became so consumed<br />

by the negative things in my life that I disregarded<br />

anything positive. All I could think about was that I was poor,<br />

hurt, and didn’t have a father. I forgot that I was smart, loved,<br />

and still had a mother.<br />

I didn’t realize this until I was sitting in juvenile court

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