I Had a Prison Pen Pal in College. He Changed How I Interacted With Men
I was reading the newspaper when I came across a want ad from a man in prison looking for someone to write to.
In 1984, a young woman, living in a small town and enrolled in a small college, received a want ad from a man in prison looking for someone to write to. She decided to answer his ad, hoping to learn about his life and be the kind of nurse who didn't judge people harshly. They began writing letters, and their friendship grew. When he asked for a photograph, she turned him down, not wanting to satisfy his personal request.
Later, he sent a heartfelt card and told her that she was too nice to write to incarcerated men. Surprised and disappointed, she realized he had wanted something different from their correspondence. Despite their connection ending kindly, she felt cared for by his respect and understanding.
Written by urgent.news from Newsweek's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
