EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR:
365 REASONS WHY FREEDOM IS BETTER
By Valerie Shaw, M.PR

Every time I refuse a "collect" phone call from someone in prison, every time I get "prison mail" and every time I see one of those black and white L.A. County Sheriff's bus, packed with shadowy heads behind the blacked-out windows, I want to kiss God for letting me live free.

Now that the U.S. prison population tops 1.5 million in California alone and over 6 million Americans are under some sort of correctional supervision, I figure that there are at least 10 million folks who can appreciate what I'm sayin' here. Besides life itself, freedom is our most precious gift.

So, if you're not fully in touch with your freedom or you are feeling desperate enough to think about doing crime, maybe you better suck in a deep breath of fresh air and remember every day of 2005-all 365 of them-why freedom is better.

WHEN YOU ARE FREE, YOU CAN…

1. Use the microwave 2. Flip the remote 3. Take a moonlight stroll 4. Go for a walk after dinner 5. Go to brunch 6. Help a friend to move 7. Close your door 8. Have a door to close 9. Use a fingernail file 10. Use fingernail polish 11. Go on a picnic 12. Order take out 13. Go for fast foods 14. Travel for pleasure 15. Use a computer 16. Go for a drive 17. Raid the refrigerator 18. Hold money 19. Drive a car 20. Smell the flowers 21. Get second helpings 22. Go to a restaurant 23. Be the first to open the mail 24. Take a bubble bath 25. Take a bath 26. Walk to the post office 27. Become rich and famous 28. Go to the Laundromat 29. Shop in a store 30. Look in the medicine cabinet 31. Buy furniture 32. Move your furniture around 33. Open a checking account 34. Open a can with an electric opener 35. Sew on a button 36. Dress up 37. Sleep late 38. Take a vacation 39. Cook on a stove 40. Eat steak 41. Hold private health insurance 42. Roll the windows up 43. Turn up the heat 44. Turn on the air conditioner 45. Drink a glass of water 46. Mail a letter 47. Lay on your back and count the stars 48. Roll in the grass 49. Send Western Union 50. Talk on a cell phone 51. Order pay-for-view 52. Buy gasoline 53. Go to the bank 54. Wear a baseball cap 55. Wear a shirt and tie 56. Go skiing 57. Go swimming 58. Own a hammer 59. Own a screwdriver 60. Own nails/screws 61. Look at satellite TV 62. Own/care for a dog 63. Own/care for a cat 64. Own/care for tropical fish 65. Use a knife to cut food 66. Climb a tree 67. Ride on a boat 68. Go fishing 69. Climb a mountain 70. Go hiking 71. Kiss someone dear when you want to 72. Knit or crochet 73. Use a magnifying glass 74. Go to McDonald's 75. Open a business 76. Go to any movie 77. Read any newspaper 78. Read any book 79. Go to a party 80. Go to a New Year's Eve party 81. Go to a garage sale 82. Hold a garage sale 83. Use a bottle opener 84. March in a parade 85. March in a protest 86. Visit grandma 87. Have patio dining 88. Eat on real plates 89. Take a night class 90. Not ask permission 91. Listen to the car radio 92. Pay taxes 93. Turn off the lights 94. Send an editorial 95. Call a news reporter 96. Call a TV station 97. Relax in a Jacuzzi 98. Pick flowers 99. Have houseplants 100. Order wine with dinner 101. Look in the closet 102. Look at murder mysteries on TV 103. Scratch your head with a metal-toothed comb 104. Sleep on colored/textured sheets 105. Sleep with two pillows 106. Stay warm 107. Look in a mirror 108. Wear any hairstyle 109. Wear hair ornaments 110. Stop for a traffic signal 111. Take the freeway or surface streets 112. Wear jewelry 113. Play the radio as loud as you like 114. Stop and rest on the stairs 115. Go fishing 116. Own a fishing pole 117. Own a bowling ball 118. Collect art 119. Collect cd's 120. Show your driver's license 121. Get a Sears family portrait 122. Go up in an attic 123. Take new photos 124. Smoke a cigar 125. Shop for groceries 126. Look at Court TV 127. Hold a passport 128. Wear dress shoes 129. Keep a private diary 130. Buy curtains 131. Buy toilet paper 132. Shop at the 99 Cents Only store 133. Go to a museum 134. Take a cab 135. Follow a fire truck 136. Go to a wedding 137. Make a bank deposit 138. Make a bank withdrawal 139. Go to the doctor when you have to 140. Visit the dentist when you need/want to 141. Visit a sick friend in the hospital 142. Go to a pro ball game 143. Order off a menu 144. Sleep over a friend's house 145. Buy a Christmas tree 146. Go to a concert, play or a nightclub 147. Use the toilet in private 148. Run upstairs 149. Go camping 150. Enjoy quiet 151. Go on a date 152. Use a credit card 153. Get a loan 154. Present a resume to get a job 155. Buy a house 156. Buy a horse 157. Buy a car 158. Buy a bicycle or motorcycle 159. Buy a bicycle pump 160. Own a piano 161. Take violin lessons 162. Take a vacation 163. Rap in a studio 164. Join a protest group 165. Join a theatre group 166. Build a bonfire 167. Make an appointment 168. Pay rent 169. Go outside whenever you wish 170. Go horseback riding 171. Take a cruise 172. Have a barbeque 173. Go to a barbeque 174. Say what you think 175. Eat what you want 176. Eat when you want 177. Express yourself 178. Sue (somebody) 179. Study anything you find interesting 180. E-mail friends 181. Establish a website or weblog 182. Be a backseat driver 183. Invest 184. Call (by dialing, not collect) 185. Make your own chili 186. Shop at Trader Joe's 187. Shop at Home Depot 188. Stay up all night and sleep all day

189. Sleep well most nights 190. Get married without permission 191. Get divorced without permission 192. Collect Social Security benefits 193. Collect retirement benefits 194. Collect any benefits 195. Go to Rite Aide to fill a prescription 196. Volunteer for the military 197. Be a radio call-in 198. Serve on a jury 199. Have a library card 200. Get cosmetic surgery 201. Own a designer anything 202. Start a 501 (c) corporation 203. Start any type of corporation 204. Start any type of business 205. Visit Santa 206. Brew coffee 207. Use real sugar 208. Cook with real butter 209. Chew gum 210. Use Viagra ® 211. Get Botox ® 212. Sit on the toilet as long as you like 213. Hang clothes on wire hangers 214. Hang clothes in a closet 215. Use an electric toothbrush 216. Write with an "ink" pen 217. Pay bills 218. Pay bills online 219. Make love in private 220. Own golf clubs 221. Golf 222. Sleep under a down comforter 223. Plant your feet on a rug 224. Call 9-1-1 225. Rent a video 226. Relax on the front/back porch 227. Eat leftovers from the frig 228. Go dancing 229. Pursue the American Dream 230. Exercise your Constitutional Rights 231. Make a conference call 232. Switch channels on TV 233. Go to the beach 234. Carry a backpack 235. Buy a ticket 236. Confirm a reservation 237. Visit a professional barber/beauty shop 238. Drink bottled water 239. Drink a sparkling beverage 240. Go to a nightclub 241. Go to a concert 242. Truly just "hang out" 243. Donate clothes to the homeless 244. Put a stamp on an envelope 245. Use a professional delivery service 246. Order from Home Shopping Club 247. Buy wholesale 248. Go camping 249. Have an air purifier 250. Order something online 251. Turn off the lights 252. Take a mom to dinner on Mother's Day 253. Take the kids to Magic Mountain 254. Take the kids anywhere 255. Get a professional pedicure 256. Thumb through the Yellow Pages 257. Become a game show contestant 258. Earn a living wage 259. Buy a Christmas tree 260. Sleep in a king or queen size bed 261. Have the newspaper home delivered 262. Leave town 263. Leave the dishes 264. Build a fire in the fireplace 265. Set the alarm clock 266. Eat a Hershey Bar ® 267. Walk down the street 268. Visit a zoo 269. Kiss your kids good morning 270. Kiss your kids good night 271. Have art supplies 272. Roller blade 273. Send a fax 274. Receive a phone call 275. Breathe fresh air 276. Watch hummingbirds feed 277. Own an electric razor 278. Hear birds chirping 279. Follow a butterfly's flight 280. Maintain oral hygiene 281. Use dental floss 282. Eat a pizza 283. Eat a box of butter-flavored popcorn 284. Watch cable TV 285. Work in your own garden 286. Shower morning, noon or night 287. Keep nail clippers 288. Use roach spray 289. Use insect repellant 290. Use aerosol cans 291. Have foot powder 292. Wear cologne 293. Use spray cans 294. Recycle aluminum 295. Iron your clothes 296. Wear color socks 297. Cash in coupons 298. Take advantage of discounts 299. Drink whole milk 300. Have batteries 301. Climb a tree 302. Use air freshener 303. Watch a whole movie uninterrupted 304. Buy a book 305. Buy a magazine 306. Buy a newspaper 307. Carve a turkey 308. Call the plumber 309. Use a credit card 310. Go to the ATM 311. Hold cash 312. Frame art for your walls 313. Order a cocktail 314. Get dressed up for dinner 315. Call 800 phone numbers 316. Get a facial 317. Go to a spa 318. Play video games 319. Buy life insurance 320. Sing Karaoke 321. Go trick-or-treating on Halloween 322. Go Christmas caroling 323. Own a flashlight 324. Shoot pool 325. Wear wire-rimmed glasses 326. Work on a political campaign 327. Make eggnog 328. Spike the eggnog 329. Drink eggnog 330. Keep cough medicine 331. Eat a three-egg omelet 332. Open a can with a can opener 333. Play computer solitaire 334. Have potted plants 335. Get named-brands from vending machines 336. Own tweezers 337. Hold scissors 338. Stay warm through the winter 339. Use suntan oil in the summer 340. Go to the beach 341. Hear a wooden door open and close 342. Hear the rain on your roof 343. Wear a bathrobe 344. Wear cloth slippers 345. Purchase a new mattress 346. Go to a bookstore 347. Make sugar cookies 348. Create a sculpture 349. Have friends of all nationalities, from all cultures 350. Vacuum your rug 351. Own a rug 352. Put up curtains 353. Light incense 354. Light a candle 355. Wear a watch 356. Wear a belt 357. Wear a colored t-shirt 358. Attend all the baptisms, quincineras, weddings and funerals you care to 359. Visit a loved ones resting place 360. Own a camera 361. Pet a dog 362. Turn off the TV 363. Trust someone 364. Live shackle-free 365. GO HOME!

Click here to get resources to help the Incarcerated Get Proactive !!!

© Valerie Shaw 2005 All Rights Reserved

All contents are the exclusive rights of the author and may not be copied, excerpted, nor duplicated without the expressed written permission of the author. For questions regarding duplication of this work, send email to author.