This is a story about adapting. It is a true story with many unfamiliar witnesses.
In a previous blog story called "Whispers Before the Thunder" I closed with the promise to tell another story. Recalling those twenty days from my twenties awaiting trial in the San Antonio, Texas jail for my minor infraction...I had to adapt quick because I was surrounded by all sorts of folks, but the common thread...I was the minority. One of few Caucasians in a sea of mixed & agitated races.
In a captive environment you are obviously limited in your resources. The most valuable resources in jail at that time were cigarettes, chocolate & coffee. The 3 C's of jail prosperity if you are of the entrepreneurial spirit. There were tools for these luxuries as well. A lighter was like gold, but when one was not available a bit of steel wool and the hot stick for heating water worked fine. I had no money in my jail house account, I didn't obviously know anybody, and I didn't have any of the resources or tools mentioned.
But I had something else very few of the forty or so guys in this community cell block had. My own self-reliance based on the teachings & experiences I had & most importantly the strength in God to protect me and the faith in Jesus to guide & console me.
As I said tobacco was one of the three kings of jail house commodity. The first couple days of my twenty night's stay I resorted to bumming a couple smokes. Loose tobacco self-rolled was the cheapest way to go & that was the bulk of what guys smoked. We had occasions to get out of the community cell for various things and I always took every opportunity to get out. On my first venture down the halls of the facility I noticed a lot of large ashtrays in common areas. They were the big aluminum ones about eight inches round and deep, shaped like half an egg with that trap cover you pushed a tab to open & they were fastened to the walls at stairways, elevators & waiting areas. I was with a group of several guys probably going to the library or something & I had passed like three of these...and I did not have any tobacco. Memories of my tobaccoless street days kicked in.
Keep in mind this was around forty years ago. The section of the San Antonio jail I was in was not as strict as it is today. We were not shackled or anything, just being escorted by a couple guards thru the hallways. I got to the back of the line and the rear guard was having a smoke as he strolled along. As we passed one of the large wall mounted ashtrays the guard went to stub out his smoke. He was of the more laid-back type & I said, “Sir, can I hit that & put it out for you?” …he handed the lit short to me, I took a drag & stubbed it out…& he lit another cigarette. He took a drag…& handed me the whole cigarette…I took one drag & stubbed it out for later. Thanking him, he said, “don’t tell no one.”
So now I had to figure out what to say if asked where I got this cigarette. As we started our way back, I knew there were 5 or 6 ashtrays along the corridors…I was prepared. Again, walking in the back with the friendly guard, we approached the first ashtray. I had a small plastic garbage bag I lifted from a stray can…as the ashtray came into reach…I reached in and grabbed a handful of butts & put them in the bag.
These were ashtrays the guards & visitors used, no self-rolls in this choice group of shorts (nick name for cigarette butts). The guard didn’t say nothing, so I hit every ashtray on the way back to the cells. Once in my cell I broke up all butts, trashed the filters, ash & burnt ends to where all that was left was a pristine pile of cleaned tobacco…from previously discarded butts.
Now that I had tobacco...rolling papers, coffee & chocolate was easy to acquire…I just had to keep my tobacco stash safe…& as the corridor trips increased, so did my pile of tobacco. There was only one guard I had to worry about…the rest let me continue my ashtray cleaning duties. Sometimes I would find a barely smoked cigar or designer cigarette like Clove. I’d keep these separate, as they had extra value to barter with. Another inmate tried the same thing…& the guards shut him down.
I asked the night guard about that & he said, “well in all the years this place has been here…no inmate has ever done that…so we just figured to let it stand.” That shocked me as the San Antonio jail has been there longer than my years at the time. One of the first things I learned on the streets was how to support my smoking enjoyment. There are discarded tobacco treasures everywhere, just got to have the need to look & adapt your wants based on your environment, resources & abilities.
To this day I can resort to those lessons & memories if I have to, not just for tobacco, but for any of life’s necessities. In the throw away society that surrounds us, hold on to your Faith in God & it will enhance your ability to adapt to this ever-changing world... that surrounds all of us. 🐝
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