Halftime at the Rice Bowl ©

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Halftime at the Rice Bowl ©
S.P. Dowdney/ 2019 (SD1)

So I have some good news and some bad news…, and that’s the numbers on your personal scoreboard that each and everyone of you left out there on that playing field of life, before you walked in this room this evening.

Now I am sure that everyone has seen a sporting contest, where one team isn’t performing so well, yet upon return from halftime there is a miraculous transformation..? You know I have always been intrigued as to exactly what those coaches espouse to their players in order to inspire, before sending them back out to a battlefield. So if you would, please, grab a proverbial knee and bring your attentions in, as I attempt to wax eloquent, a prisoner’s version of a halftime speech.

It’s probably a little more cliché than actual reality these days that prison food is some sort of inedible gruel. It’s not that bad. Granted, its not steak and Alaskan king crab, but I think we can agree that, at least, it leaves one longing for something different. Luckily for us though, once a month, our paltry pay checks and our ability to order commissary align in a galvanizing time, prisoners refer to as…, Pay Day Store. But this store isn’t like your local grocer, just your basic hygiene necessities, there is no fresh produce to speak of, mostly just snacks, knick knacks and the like. Nevertheless, on this anticipated day, small groups of individuals throw in, we pitch in, and together we prepare a meal, we call these meals…, spreads. Now, there are all different types of spreads, some slap concoctions in tortilla shells, while others pile chips high with cheese and condiments, but I would have to say the classic, without question has got to be what we call a ‘rice bowl’. I mean, the mere name denotes a high quality staple, as opposed to cheaper, less healthy counterpart, the ramen noodle. Now what really makes these rice bowls special are their toppings, all different types from a vast array of base ingredients, but again, the most popular, and accepted everywhere like Visa, the notorious meat stick. No, not some prime cut wrapped in butcher paper, more of an in casement of processed pulp, chalked so full of preservatives that probably has the shelf life that rivals that of a Twinkie. Yet, somehow, culinary miracles spring forth, as the result of marinades and recipes that have been debated, argued and esoterically handed down over decades amongst some of the most culturally diverse, unique only to an American prison. I am talking secret and coveted herbs and spices, tradecraft in preparation, roux and sauces ranging from teriyaki to barbeque, heat, mild all the way to kimchi. Now, maybe, on some rare occasion, although I have no specific knowledge, perhaps a purloined onion or fresh crisp green bell pepper, but generally the ingredients are unlikely outcasts, transformed surprisingly into Epicurean delights.

I like to say that these rice bowls make a great analogy for your life, and why not…?, they’re hard strived, cultivated and built upon, to be shared with friends, family and loved ones. And just like a life there are many ways these rice bowls are consumed, as some stir them up and scarf them down like a famished canine, while others, let them set, as the flavors saturate and emulsify, eventually carving into it like calving glacier, the perfect balance between rice and topping, each bite to be savored and enjoyed.

However, as we all know, life has its obstacles, its fumbles and penalties. Another unavoidable truth about prison life is that personal space is a very limited commodity, and whether real or just perceived, lines get crossed, and without proper communication skills, physical struggle may ensue…. That’s right, I’m talking about a good old fashioned fist fight, which almost always ensures, and rightfully so, a trip to what is called solitary confinement. So if you can imagine prison as just not being very fun, well try to imagine a prison within a prison, would you just take my word?…, why it’s no fun at all.

As once was the case with one of my fellow rice bowl participants. Now, though I would love to tell you that he had fared well in his endeavor, I cannot, for when I visited my constituent at his cell door, just one look, and I reflexively quoted that animated pooch Scooby Doo when he happens upon some ghoul, that’s right, I blurted “zoiks”. For I knew as well as he, that his choices and actions that day had rendered his trip to solitary confinement inevitable. Yet despite this pending doom, there was still a glimmer of hope, at least in his left eye, as he spoke through a jack-o-lantern grimace, when he asked….”we’re still doin’ rice bowls tonight, right?” Please believe, I took no pleasure when telling him that “there won’t be any rice bowl for you”. To this day I can still hear his pain, and despite his origami features I could see his anguish, as he asked me why. And now I’ll tell you, just as I told him when I said,

“Well because, ….Rice bowls are for winners”

I know as a convicted felon, what could I possibly know of winning, what if this tale was of losing? Coming full circle, perhaps your scoreboard reflects a comfortable lead, maybe you’re trailing miserably, but no matter your age, your past victories or your failures, today, right here, right now, this is YOUR halftime, because if you’re still breathing there is still plenty of clock. Deficits can be closed and overcome. Persevere. Just as leads can erode and wash away, so protect them. Its true your rice bowl is waiting out there for each and everyone of you, the only question is, will it be you who enjoys it?…. Oh, the answer? Ha, don’t look at me, for life is but your trophy, only you can obtain it….Now get your butts back out there.