Developing a reputation on the inside is unavoidable. Guys watch you. You can't just sit in your cell all day. You have to eat, shower, work, and go to programs. It is up to you what you want that reputation to be, and what you do largely determines that.

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On most days, you would find me at a table in the dayroom. You would see papers, books, a cup of coffee, and my concentrated gaze. The music playing through my earbuds would drown out the noise. People would bustle about the room as I held still. You would see a time machine at work.

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You would also see an occasional visitor. Sometimes it might be to challenge me to a game of chess, but most of the time a question would be asked. A variety of questions come my way. Some would be about law, others about my opinion on current events. You would likely hear someone ask me a math problem at some point, though.

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Most of these are elementary algebra problems that you'd find on the GED exam. Some of them are from the survey course offered by a community college that works with the prison. I seldom encounter technical problems. I was excited to receive one recently.

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I'll admit, I'm not always so approachable. At this particular time, I was highly caffeinated and fixated on coupled systems. The mathematical representation of interconnectedness was piquing my sense of wonder. I was experiencing true joy. When I saw the waving hand from the corner of my eye, I involuntarily let out a frustrated exhale.

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The intruder was met with piercing scrutiny. His back straightened, his eyes widened, and his mouth opened. The air between us didn't seem to carry any sound. This wasn't my intention, of course. I smiled and gestured for him to sit down.

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“Sorry to bother you, Nate.”

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“Oh, no problem, Bodhi. You know that I don't mind talking. I was just in the zone. What do you have here?”

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“Gangster is trying to make some nuts for a project that he is working on. He has them drafted, but he can't quite get the dimensions right. Whenever he puts them into the CNC machine, they keep coming out the wrong size. Here are the measurements. He wanted me to ask if you would help.”

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I stared at the sketches for an instant before determining that this was a trigonometry problem. It was also an opportunity to bestow motivation. I take every such opportunity.

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“Of course! I can give you the numbers, or I can show you what's going on. Would you like that?”

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“Yeah, let's go over it so I can explain it to him.”

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I began drawing my own diagrams. I explained that our problem hinged on how our mutual friend took his measurements. One way would require the sine function, while the other would require the tangent. I explained what the unit circle was, how it relates to the functions, and how we could use it to solve our problem. My friend seemed to have several epiphanies.

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“This is just trigonometry?!”

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“Yes, it is! If you would ever like to learn, just let me know. It turns out that it is quite useful.”  

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We spoke for some time after that. I mentioned how the PMP could help, and that there are books on our tablets too. He wasn't making any commitments, but he was interested. I guess I can't twist his arm. That is, at least not on camera.

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Don't worry, Bodhi is a pretty tough guy. I might find myself eating out of a straw if I tried. He did come to my cell with some books recently, though, wanting to see what I thought about them. All of them were good to start. He still isn't making any commitments, but actions speak louder than words. I'm enthusiastic and hopeful to hear his future questions!

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I'm always excited to answer a math question. It could be because I want others to experience my amazement. Maybe it is because I feel useful. I can tell you with certainty that Gangster appreciated it. In the words of the great Dori:

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“Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming...”

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Image by Edge2Edge Media on Unsplash.

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