You might expect someone convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison to have a pretty rough and tough demeanor. But that’s not the case at all for Marion Hamilton. He’s actually very unassuming, quite kind and courteous, and he can take you off guard with his charming sense of humor. Meeting him today, you’d really never know his back story.
That’s because, today, Marion is focusing his energy on writing a whole new story for himself.
“That’s what I had to do,” he said. “I had to write a story about myself. I had to look at the people I hurt and the people I love, and I came to find out I never did love them. I was hurting them, because I was hurting myself.”
That’s Marion’s old story.
“Today, I write it down,” he said. “Do I love them or am I hurting them? I find out today that I do love them because I love myself.”
Marion has been out of prison for about six years now. He says every day he sets a goal to be better than he was yesterday, and he wants to help someone else along the way. He’s enjoying his life now, and he encourages people in similar situations to also write their story to see for themselves that they are better than they think they are.
He recommends this, “Look at the man in the mirror. If you find 10 things you like about him, find 10 things you dislike about him. Write them down. Write a story about yourself and what you want. And be honest with yourself. Then you’ll see that you are a better person.”
Marion credits Journey to New Life, especially the support group he participated in, for helping him be successful and get as far as he has. “It was difficult at first,” he said. “But I have family and the support group with Journey to New Life. They gave me the support and the tools I needed.”
I’m grateful for Journey to New Life. It gives us an opportunity to find some place to be at peace and to talk to each other.
— Marion Hamilton
But that’s not the only motivation Marion had for wanting to change his story. Marion lost both his father and his mother while he was incarcerated. He says that experience made him feel like he needed to do this for his mother. “When my mother died, it just took something out of me,” he said. “I just had to make a change because I promised her. So, I got my GED, vocational training, and I just started looking forward.”
Since being out of prison, Marion has also lost two of his three daughters. So, he makes a point to spend as much time as he can with his daughter and his grandchildren. “My granddaughter, I got a date with her today to go get our nails done,” he said. Though he didn’t mention what color of polish he would be selecting, he did confirm that it was both a mani and a pedi. And, he said, “I wouldn’t trade it for nothing in the world.”
Marion remains connected to Journey to New Life. He and Walter Coppage are doing what they can to continue Darnell’s legacy by trying to revive the support group that meant so much to both of them during their transitions back into the community. He also makes sure he checks in from time to time.
“I stay in contact. I call Rita every week,” he said. “I come back when I have time off just to see how everything’s going and to let them know I’m still out.”
