MichaelMorton

This may sound odd, but I am still taken aback when I see how remarkably casual some men dress. I went to a restaurant on Valentine's Day not too long after my release. Most of the women dressed up. But most of the men seemed to be dressed like teenage boys. I am not used to grown men wearing shorts and flip flops in non casual settings. Oh, well.

One of my attorneys told me something I'd heard before. Harboring hate and resentment is akin to drinking poison and hoping the other person dies from it. I forgave those who'd harmed me. It was a conscious effort. And it physically helped me. It liberated me spiritually, too. If we want to be forgiven, we must forgive. It's one of the pillars of Judeo-Christian/Western Civ. And it's true.

It's $80K per year incarcerated, plus after a year of freedom an annuity kicks in that gives the exoneree a monthly income. As I said, Texas has the most generous compensation package in the country.

At first, it was unbelievable. Then, it was maddening. But as the days, months, and years piled up, I had to accept it. It wasn't fair…but as we all learn, life ain't fair. As long as I had something to look forward to, I could continue. If a prisoner ever loses hope, it is over. Some men just hang themselves or jump of the third tier. It isn't pretty, but it's a part of prison.

There was next to no way to stay current with technology on the inside. However, once released, I found that I missed the days of walking around with a phone the size of a brick, searching for a signal. My first phone was an iPhone and my first computer was a MacBook. Basically, I stepped into an episode of Star Trek where everything just seemed to work. It's been a semi easy transition.