Long Form Piece

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I sat motionless, blankly staring down at the abyss. The sound that surrounded me echoed in my head, but nothing made sense to me. All this was the result of an unconscious decisions that had simply become the product of a strong friendship. A reaction that by nature lead me straight into the fight. The same decision that landed me into the chilean correctional facilities.

A type of question that when asked to many, answer with a fictitious lie. “Would you jump in front of car for a friend?”. Its easy to spit out words or a simple yes, as most of us do, but when put in the situation most of us just run away because its the easiest thing to do. Taking a blow for a friend is what separates those who you mean something to, with those who are just puppets in your everyday life.

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My hands cuffed behind me as i restlessly tried to calm myself and sit still. I looked down at my light blue shirt recreating patterns with the blood stains that had dripped down from my broken nose. I had been stripped of all my rights and placed in a situation that i had never been in. My heart beat was irregular and my eyesight blurry. A room filled with juvenile delinquents that screamed out helpless words slowly accumulating the guards anger as if every word they spat out was just another mosquito flying by their ear. I tried to camouflage myself but my American heritage shot right back at me. I stood out like a tall man in a short croud.

The cell door opened as another juvenile was thrown in. I quickly glanced up from the corner trying to avoid eye contact. A bulky but short teenager furiously stared at two of the guards that had just thrown him in. “Fat Fu@#,” he blurted out. The cell door was slammed open as the two guards stomped inside. “Everyone up and against the wall!” My heart started pounding on my chest. I quickly moved to the wall. I pressed my jaw tightly, laid my head against the wall and closed my eyes. Behind me, screams that one would only recognize from a horror movie flew out of the teenagers mouth as the corrupt guards relentlessly beat him.

It took me a while to realize it was all over. My mind and body had gone out of synchronization as i could not think nor move. The teenager had no marks on his face but it was clear that the beating they had given him was only done in hidden spots. “You fine?” i heard a voice call from a distance which seemed familiar but couldn't figure it out. “Yeah, im fine” i replied emotionless. Time paused and i simply was no longer thinking. I had become a statue with no emotion.

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Change and understanding only occurs when an individual goes to one end and back. When one is presented and placed in a hard situation and takes the step forward to face it. This is what builds us as people and enables us to see the deeper meanings to things.

I was placed in a situation were defending my friends stood in front of all the outcomes that resulted from the incident. I went through a day that felt like a year and all through that, i was suffering. Put at my limits and tested for my weaknesses but in the end, i came out stronger and with a deeper meaning to friendship and life. The best way to learn, is the hard way, because any other way is only scratching the surface. Loyalty to one another is the key to success and if it requires you to fall for someone, fall, but stand back up and do it better the second time.     

Mission Statement

Mission Statement

Loyalty. An invisible bond that distinguishes real relationships with those that are fictitious. On a day to day basis, we as humans are presented with decisions that demonstrate our feelings for one another, constantly taking sides. With some we latch like two opposing magnets while with others we automatically can not bond. We by nature and instinct are biased to one another and unconsciously will bond with some better than others, but ultimately the whole matter revolves around one simple but complex subject, that being; loyalty and its outcomes.  

Like a mother protects her child, a true friend protects his friends. When someone who you care or love is placed in a situation that places them at risk, it is your right to stand by them and take as many blows as the situation presents in order to defend or protect that individual.

It is a simple task to act and state that someone is a good friend but the only way these things can be determined is when a situation that puts yourself at risk occurs. In a situation where your friend is at risk, would you stand in front of him, or would you throw him in front of you?

Loyalty is the invisible bond that connects us, but without it, it would be like two positively charged magnets forcible tapped together.

The article will include my experience through a hard decision that was taken in order to protect my friends and the reality and outcomes that are produced with every decision that is taken.   

Pitch Letter

Mr. Editor,

Any spontaneous reaction is the product of a bewildered situation. A decision that is taken with no prior judgement of the consequences. Ultimately, these decisions result in life changing experiences that unfortunately many times alters how one behaves and thinks. These are the elements in peoples lives that build up to create a difference. The moments that shape and create our understanding of the real meaning of life and the value behind it. In order to see the light you must first live in the darkness and suffer the reality that surrounds it.

As a result of my experience, I present Change and Loyalty, an article projecting the reality that confronted me on the late morning of January 2nd, revealing the oblivious consequences that identify themselves in moments of despair. I will tell the story from my perspective and how every action i proceeded to take resulted against me. How loyal can you be? Would you take a bullet for a friend? I plan on interviewing my lawyer with the purpose of answering what the true consequences are of taking such actions and risks, alongside what could ultimately be the result of a spontaneous reaction without thinking.

As a victim of spontaneous reactions, i express the true consequences and define what the real meaning of friendship is through the telling of my experience. We are surrounded by a pessimistic world where loyalty towards your loved ones may be the only thing protecting you.

Thanks you.

sincerely,

Christopher Whalen