When the dirty orange cat turned up in the prison yard, I was one of the first to go out there and pet it. I hadn't1a cat or a dog in over 20 years. It was graceful to feel him and know that I was2the life of another creature. I believe that caring for something or someone3is what makes us human.
Over the next few days, I watched other prisoners4to the cat. They stood around talking and taking5petting the cat. These were guys you wouldn't usually find talking to each other. Several times I saw an officer in the group—not forcing people away,6just watching and seeming to7it.
Bowls of milk and water appeared, along with bread,8placed under the edge of the dustbin to9the seagulls(海鸥)from getting it. The cat was obviously in pretty bad10. One prisoner brought out his small11, and trimmed(修剪)for him.
People said, "That cat came to the right place. He's getting12like a king." This was true. But as I watched, I was also thinking about what the13was doing for us.
There's a lot of talk about what's14with prisons in America. We need more15or treatment of various kinds. Some even talk about making prisons more kind, but I think what we really need is a chance to16kindness ourselves. Not receive it, but17it.
They've taken him away now—18to a comfortable home—but it did my heart good to see the effect he had19me and the men here. He didn't have a PhD, he wasn't a psychologist, but by simply saying, "I need some help here," he did something important for us. He needed us, and we need to be20. I believe we all do.
