"I've been smiling so much, my jaw's hurtin', but somehow I'm just finding the energy to keep smiling." - Ray Towler
For Towler, every day is a gift. As a 23-year old, a case of mistaken identity resulted in his wrongful imprisonment for 29 years - a whole generation, a whole working career, all through his prime parenting years. During that time (hard time - he was convicted of raping a 12-year old girl), he didn't wallow in bitterness. He served as a model prisoner, picked up a couple of associate degrees.
"It don't take much to be happy. It's crazy how many times I say in a day, 'Man, I'm glad I'm not in prison.'"
He's a tourist in a world in which he's spent less than half his life. Although he didn't file suit, he was nonetheless awarded a settlement in compensation for the error. He spends part of his days playing guitar in a band he formed, In Spirit and Truth. They play at fund-raisers for charities like the Innocence Project, which handled the overturn of his conviction.
Odds are good that we'll be free every day of our lives, unless we imprison ourselves with misery over minor infractions. With effort, we can smile about our bounty until our jaws hurt.
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