Evaristo Salas Jr.

And when I would walk that yard out there and I'd see the fences, I could see visually I was on this side of the fence, but mentally I could see myself walking outside.

And that was the difference.

It's just, of just saying, you know what, this is how I'm going to be.

I don't care what people think about it.

They can laugh at me.

I don't care if it leaves people close to me.

They can make fun of me.

And people did, you know, people laughed about the things I would say.

And for instance, my dad, I would tell him all the time, look dad, I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna go work with you when I get out.

And in the beginning, it brought him a lot of hope and joy.

But 25, 26 years into it, when I would say that I could see the sadness come over his eyes because he had already accepted that it may not happen.

And he couldn't hope anymore because it was too painful for him.

And so when he would look at me, he wouldn't say it, but I would see almost a face that would say, oh, my poor son hasn't accepted the fact that this is how it's going to be.

And so when I actually got out of prison, I went to work with him.

Sat in the next seat right until he was driving his truck.

I looked at him in the middle of the country.

And I said, Dad, you remember?

Remember I told you I was going to go to work with him?

He looks at me.

He starts crying.