Now you may or may not know who Damien Echols is. If you're interested in finding out more, see a couple of my previous posts on the West Memphis Three. These days, I consider Damien an author and an activist. Damien himself has said, in his book Life After Death which I reviewed here, "I'm often plagued by thoughts that people will think of me only as either someone on Death Row or someone who used to be on Death Row." Every day puts him farther and farther away from being that person, and that makes me happier than I could explain.
The event was put together by a new book shop in Chicago, City Lit Books. It was a question and answer session with Damien first, with a book signing and meeting opportunity afterward. Since it's been so many months, I don't remember most of the poignant comments made throughout the interview portion, but one quote stuck out so much I Instagrammed it. "If you don't have the things you love in your life, its not worth living."
One of my personal favorite parts about the interview was just hearing Damien talk about his life post Death Row. How he and his wife, Lorri, decided to live in Salem, Massachusetts. The things he likes to do. Things he has experienced in just over a year out of prison. Tattooing X's on people in a shop in New York. Little things we would all take for granted, like how to use an iPhone. All things that go back to that quote and how he is living it to the fullest every single day.
It was a great adventure, and something I needed to do in order to break up my day to day. Above all, though, I finally got to meet someone I never thought I would get the opportunity to. When I finally got up to the table, I could not think of a single thing to say. I had two books, both Almost Home, which has been out of print for a long time and was written while Damien was on Death Row, and Life After Death, his newest. He was happy to sign both, and I was glad to have the opportunity. What did I say to him? Nothing but "thank you".
When I think about it, I'm not exactly sure why I was thanking him. Of course, for the signatures, but also for not giving up on himself. Not giving up on the truth - and though he, Jason, and Jessie have not been exonerated for the crime, they are still trying.
If anything inspires me about the West Memphis Three, it is their inability to give up on the truth, and that is a big reason why I stayed with the case. They inspired me to stand for something beyond myself, and we all need something to believe in.
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