When Opportunity Knocks

It's already understood that I'm incarcerated. Yes, I'm in prison, the big brick house, the concrete cage. However, I refuse to allow this situation to sculpt and shape my mind negatively.
The past is beautiful for reflection. There are many lessons to learn from the past, particularly our personal past. But I am not my past. We are not our pasts. Although I'm incarcerated, I enjoy capitalizing on opportunities when they present themselves. Productive, positive opportunities.
Recently I was given the opportunity to be of service to my fellow man. I'm a Mentor in a S.K.I.L.L.S. program, designed to assist mentally challenged inmates in coping with their incarcerations. I actually live in the same room with an individual, who is referred to as my student.
My student is 54 years old and suffers from some serious issues. It's as if every morning, he's born again, remembering little from the day before. He has no G.E.D. He has no incoming funds. He has no marketable skills. He receives no mail from friends or family. And his mental state makes it difficult for him to keep an institution job.
For me to have been given such a level of responsibility in addition to my other responsibilities tells me alot about the person I am today. Years ago there would've been no way that I'd have been able to deal with an individual with such a condition on a regular basis. My patience was too short., My temper was a bit unstable. And my level of compassion wasn't where it should have been. But today is a new day. Years of work on myself have assisted me greatly in learning to care more about myself. And this care and love for myself has allowed me to genuinely care for and love others.
I call my student "Dad", a nickname I give all men over the age of fifty. lol. He trusts me and he has no reason not to.
"Dad" also has something a lot of his more mentally stable peers in prison don't have; he has hope.
"Dad" really wants to learn to drive a vehicle, under any circumstances, I am assisting him in passing the written test when he is released. Who am I to block a man's dreams?
I like "Dad". And I'm thankful for having been presented with such a wonderful, character building, enlightening opportunity.
When opportunity knocks, let's open ourselves, minds, hearts, and souls. And let him in.
DON'T STOP!!!