Letters from the Inside, Sarah Jo Pender, #1

Anyone who reads me here often knows I love watching America's Most Wanted. Two weeks ago they did a special interview with inmate Sarah Jo Pender. WHO SHE IS.

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VIDEO and PICTURES OF HER.

Apparently she killed two of her roommates, was sentenced to prison and then escaped. The interview took place after she appeared on AMW and was re-captured. I found her new prison address and wrote her. Here is her response:

Kelly,

I received your card this evening. Thank you for your interested and reaching out to say hello.

I am interested in the significance of the photo on the card. You said it was of you. It is a professional photo--why were you having them taken? What kind of public relations do you do?

I'd love to read some of your published stories. Do you write short stories like in the New Yorker? or artilce for magazines? I'm very curious. I enjoy writing and have thought about publishing, but do not know how I might go about it or how hard it is to get in the industry. What made you want to write? Would you write full time if you could? or is it a hobby? What subjects do ou most like to cover?

I can see the allure of a dating story column. They are popular stories in Cosmo and other women's magazines. Did the column get discontinued or did you decide that broadcasting the intimate details and guffawas of your personal relationships was no longer goof for your dating life? I mean who wants to go out with someone, regardless of how beautiful and well-dressed, when they know if they don't measure up it will be immortalized in print? First dates are especially awkward. But it does sound like fun.

"FreeBird" is playing on the radio. I like playing this on my guitar and singing-except when it gets to the end, I can't play that--but I kill it on air guitar. :-) (The irony doesn't escape me.)

I love music. It is an integral part of my life and has lulled me through hard times and celebrate my best days--and been the soundtrack to fantastic moments of my life.

What are you read these days? I just finished up a book by Lynne McTaggart called The Intention Experiment and am working through Caught in the Act by Toinette Lippe, a book about living life authentically by removing ourselves from what we do and what we know as being the definition of who we are. I am on a journey of discovering and harnessing my strength, power and understanding of my very being in order to change my life and my circumstances.

One of my favorite books is This I Believe -- a collection of essays from the National Public Radio's weekly broadcast back in the 50's and resurrected in 2000 or so. Famous and ordinary people alike write an essay on a core belief. It made me examine what I believed in and when I looked deep inside myself, one belief jumped out at me. Justice. And so I picked it out, turned it, started at it and put it in my pocket and kept it there until I did something about it.

What do you believe?

Pick any subject and elaborate, or make a short list.

What made you write me?

I look forward to hearing from you. Until then, be well, and give your dachshund a scratch in its favorite place. I love dogs!

Sincerely,

Sarah Jo Pender

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