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Last Sunday night I watched a movie called Patch Adams. It’s a comedy about a man called Patch Adams, played by Robin Williams, and his journey through medical school and becoming a doctor. He decides to become a doctor after his own experience in a mental hospital. He was depressed and experiencing suicidal thoughts, but found recovery through humour and connections with other patients, rather than through traditional medical interventions. He quickly left the hospital to pursue his dreams of becoming a doctor and develop his different humour-based approach to medicine.
When Adams was a student, his teachers and fellow students thought he was just a clown and that jokes could not change a patient’s situation. But by the end of the movie, he made medical breakthroughs with his patients, especially those who were dying. Adams used happiness to treat their grief, and became a great doctor who excelled in treating physical illness through caring about their inner world.
The movie reminds me of my own experience in jail. We are like medical patients sometimes. We expect care from our lawyers or doctors, but lawyers always only focus on the case and doctors are often very busy. Like in Patch Adams, it is the other inmates, or patients, who help bring me happiness.
I also like to help other inmates. I’m an English teacher to many Chinese inmates who don’t speak English. I help them with English words and grammar. I help them with daily language in jail. It’s difficult to live here with a huge language barrier and when you don’t have any local friends. You cannot join any activities, you don’t know what’s on the buy-up list and you cannot understand what’s on TV. It would be very lonely. I’m also an interpreter to help them put in forms or talk to officers or nurses. Maybe we are different kinds of people but it’s always a pleasure to help others. Any help is valuable if someone really needs it.
Last Sunday night I watched a movie called Patch Adams. It’s a comedy about a man called Patch Adams, played by Robin Williams, and his journey through medical school and becoming a doctor. He decides to become a doctor after his own experience in a mental hospital. He was depressed and experiencing suicidal thoughts, but found recovery through humour and connections with other patients, rather than through traditional medical interventions. He quickly left the hospital to pursue his dreams of becoming a doctor and develop his different humour-based approach to medicine.
When Adams was a student, his teachers and fellow students thought he was just a clown and that jokes could not change a patient’s situation. But by the end of the movie, he made medical breakthroughs with his patients, especially those who were dying. Adams used happiness to treat their grief, and became a great doctor who excelled in treating physical illness through caring about their inner world.
The movie reminds me of my own experience in jail. We are like medical patients sometimes. We expect care from our lawyers or doctors, but lawyers always only focus on the case and doctors are often very busy. Like in Patch Adams, it is the other inmates, or patients, who help bring me happiness.
I also like to help other inmates. I’m an English teacher to many Chinese inmates who don’t speak English. I help them with English words and grammar. I help them with daily language in jail. It’s difficult to live here with a huge language barrier and when you don’t have any local friends. You cannot join any activities, you don’t know what’s on the buy-up list and you cannot understand what’s on TV. It would be very lonely. I’m also an interpreter to help them put in forms or talk to officers or nurses. Maybe we are different kinds of people but it’s always a pleasure to help others. Any help is valuable if someone really needs it.
In the movie, there is a meeting to decide if Patch Adams could hold his medical degree because of “unusual” behaviour and treatments. He said he works the way he does because of his own special experience in a mental hospital.
He said, “the doctors didn’t help me, the patients helped me. By helping them I can forget my own problems, and that’s why I wanted to become a doctor.” That’s what I feel like in prison. Helping others, I forget my own problems.
I want to continue to help people after prison. If I can stay here in Australia, I hope I can provide services in prisons, like social work for Chinese inmates to help them understand how to get help. If I go back to China, I would like to help people there too. There isn’t an effective social service system in China so far as I know. I’d like to build a new system based on what I’ve learnt, that provides help and services to those who need it. No matter if it’s across the whole country, a city or just in one neighbourhood, it’s a win. I just want to use what I have learnt and my enthusiasm to do something for my community. It’s a small goal, also a big goal, a long journey, but it’s what I’m made for. I’m ready for God's plan for me.
I know what I have done in prison is not on the same scale as Doctor Adams, but when I reflect on his story, I have motivation to help others. Doctor Adams wasn't limited by his background. I won’t be either. I’m an inmate, but I can also give my positive teachings to the world. I will face many difficulties because of my identity, but I know every effort will have its rewards. That’s also part of my redemption from what I did.
Working for the whole community, just like what Doctor Adams did, will help more people make positive changes in life and experience happiness; all because of the new me.
In the movie, there is a meeting to decide if Patch Adams could hold his medical degree because of “unusual” behaviour and treatments. He said he works the way he does because of his own special experience in a mental hospital.
He said, “the doctors didn’t help me, the patients helped me. By helping them I can forget my own problems, and that’s why I wanted to become a doctor.” That’s what I feel like in prison. Helping others, I forget my own problems.
I want to continue to help people after prison. If I can stay here in Australia, I hope I can provide services in prisons, like social work for Chinese inmates to help them understand how to get help. If I go back to China, I would like to help people there too. There isn’t an effective social service system in China so far as I know. I’d like to build a new system based on what I’ve learnt, that provides help and services to those who need it. No matter if it’s across the whole country, a city or just in one neighbourhood, it’s a win. I just want to use what I have learnt and my enthusiasm to do something for my community. It’s a small goal, also a big goal, a long journey, but it’s what I’m made for. I’m ready for God's plan for me.
I know what I have done in prison is not on the same scale as Doctor Adams, but when I reflect on his story, I have motivation to help others. Doctor Adams wasn't limited by his background. I won’t be either. I’m an inmate, but I can also give my positive teachings to the world. I will face many difficulties because of my identity, but I know every effort will have its rewards. That’s also part of my redemption from what I did.
Working for the whole community, just like what Doctor Adams did, will help more people make positive changes in life and experience happiness; all because of the new me.
I put the window down, and the wind rushed through my hair, and, as if by magical happenstance, How to Make Gravy came on the radio. His voice rolled out like it was coming from someone familiar, telling the story of Joe, writing home from prison before Christmas.
I had repeated this phrase to people so many times to emphasise how incredibly unbelievable it is that I failed English and am now going to be a published author.
I remember Christmas in prison fondly. I was with all my closest friends – my only friends. When they send you to jail, everyone and everything you have goes away.
I’d never have guessed at the amount of movement happening within the prison system. Not just within a particular prison – that in itself was eye-opening – but movement between prisons.
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Help us get About Time off the ground. All donations are tax deductible and will be vital in providing an essential resource for people in prison and their loved ones.
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