Maurice Clarett: Prisoner In Disguise

In today's entry of "The Mind of Maurice Clarett," instead of his usual personal insights about life and his transformative experience in prison, Maurice gives us some pearls from the quote book.

Some of his sources include Lord Chesterfield, Woodrow Wilson, Dorothy Sayers, and Oscar Wilde.

Who ever said you can't be erudite in jail?

Among the quotes on Maurice's list is one by Louis Pasteur:  "Chance favors the prepared mind."

Recently, Maurice decided to go back to school and enrolled in some of the classes offered inside his prison -- no doubt to win favor with chance.

A couple of days back, he posted the following under the header, "The Sky is the Limit":

I lost my mind when I believed that all I could be was a professional football player in the past. I have the capacity, ability, and the potential to be that and so much more. It comes down to intelligently investing my energy. I am going to pursue my vision with all the energy floating through this body. I refuse to allow my family to recognize me as a loser or a quitter. This time away has made me more intelligent yet more aggressive in my attempts to improve me and my family’s life. If you have ever set out to do something great or substantial with your life then you will definitely be able to identify with this post. If you haven’t, I hope these few words inspire you to be more tomorrow than what you are today. Aim a little higher; pursue your aspirations aggressively and with a lot more intelligence.

More than a few people are skeptical of Maurice's blog, but it certainly makes you think.

In 1946 Malcolm Little went into prison, and began reading voraciously.  Six years later he walked out and shortly thereafter changed his name to Malcolm X.  He later said:

"I put prison second only to college as the best place for a man to go if he needs to do some thinking. If he is motivated in prison, he can change his life."

On the other hand, Mike Tyson went into prison, and three years later walked out as Mike Tyson.

Maurice Clarett's blog is remarkable on so many levels, which is why it's gained a passionate following.  It's an autobiography in real-time.  Well-written.  Emotional (especially in the comments).  Thought-provoking.

And like a great book, no matter how hard your're rooting for the protagonist, you can't be completely sure how it's going to turn out.