FREE Strengthening Families Program. Neptune, NJ

A free 14-week educational program for Monmouth County parents, grandparents, guardians, and their 9th graders.

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WHEN THE PRODIGAL SON RETURNS

By Ernesto Cullari

What are the odds that after spending 15 years in prison for robbing a shoe store in Toms River, parolee Christopher Miller, by coincidence, would end up back in that same store hours after being released -attempting to rob it again?

The answer is 43%. Except for the fact that he walked into the same place looking to rob it all over again, it should be no surprise at all that Mr. Miller was sent back to prison just hours after being released. Writer Gary Buiso details in the New York Post, Christopher Miller’s journey from juvenile delinquent to serial criminal, an interview that Buiso describes as ranging “from humorous to hopeless.”

Ever since I read about Miller’s pathetic trip from a troubled childhood to jail, from jail to freedom and from freedom back to jail again -I can’t stop thinking about it. Christopher Miller and I are the same age. He and I went to the same high school at nearly the same time. Miller graduated two years after I would have if I didn’t drop out. He didn’t meet his father until he was an adult. I didn’t meet mine until I was 16.

While Christopher Miller was breaking into lockers at our high school, I was working part time as a janitor in the school cafeteria. It’s likely that our paths have crossed many times. Growing up our lives had been headed in the same direction, as well. By the time he was shoplifting and breaking into neighbor’s homes, I too was making my way into bigger crimes. But suddenly and abruptly this is where our paths diverge.

When I was arrested as a teenager by the same police department that just rearrested Miller, the detectives were very kind to me, despite my brazenness. They were kind to me and didn’t press the prosecution as hard as they might have, because unlike Miller, I had a big family at home that passionately advocated for me.

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Happy Thanksgiving

I’m looking forward to being with family today, even if it means several hours of driving round trip. Last year much of my extended family was scattered geographically during the holidays.  As I look forward to sharing today with them I realise how much I missed them throughout the past year.

Thank you for being a MMM reader.  Five years ago when I started musing on the Internet, I never imagined I would have the voice I have today.  Thank you for that.

If you need a respite from food or football today, check out NJN’s Reporters Roundtable with Michael Aron, featuring Jay Lassiter and Jeff Gardner of BlueJersey, Murray Sabrin, and yours truly.  I’m thankful that NJN posted the show early.  It will be broadcast on TV Friday at 7PM and Sunday at 10AM.  Channel 23 on Comcast locally.  Maybe a commenter will post the Cablevision channel in the comments.

The link to the Reporters Roundtable video is here.

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