Common Ground Initiative
Melanie Plenda
Am I a patriot? Yes, and you are too.

As football season rolls in, I’m reminded of how strongly people felt, on both sides, when some NFL players took a knee during the national anthem. I remember the feelings and opinions being so intense that it ruined friendships, dominated social media and gave the impression that these highly paid athletes, mostly Black men, were unpatriotic.

I have a different view of that.

Am I a patriot? Yes, and you are too.

prison

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Stay tuned...this comeback story is just beginning.

,
Stay tuned...this comeback story is just beginning.

Around 2 years ago, on December 10th, 2019, I exited a federal prison where I had spent the last 6-½ years. I met my brother, Chris, in the Port Authority Bus terminal in NYC. He handed me a cell phone preloaded with important numbers, pictures, and some cash. I boarded the bus headed to Boston, eventually landing in New Hampshire. During that bus ride, I watched videos of my father who died while I was in prison interacting with my daughter who was born while I was in prison. I took deep breaths, laughed, cried, and absorbed everything.

The part of incarceration that mattered was the rehabilitation

The part of incarceration that mattered was the rehabilitation

Imagine walking into a secured prison yard. One so secured with the walls so high that when you look up, all you see is the sky. You go back to your cell. It’s so loud and the potential for violence so ripe, you’re always on high alert. It’s easy to succumb to that culture. How do you cope? How do you pass the time in a place like that?

One year out of prison and it’s not been the year I imagined; still, I’m blessed

One year out of prison and it’s not been the year I imagined; still, I’m blessed

I’m near my one-year anniversary of being released from federal prison. At times, I’ve been extremely frustrated…it hasn’t been an easy road. I used to sit back and daydream about this freedom, and how I would capitalize on it. The obstacles that I envisioned are real, but I’ve realized that rebuilding my life isn’t an overnight task.