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Join me for a journey of self-reflection and discovery with Donald (Don-Don) Brooks Jr., who has spent the better half of his life incarcerated , paying the price for a decision he made as a teenager. With a raw frankness, Donald uncovers the reality of his upbringing in Virginia's Chesapeake and the compelling desire to fit in that led him down an unfortunate path. He unveils the profound truth - every decision carries weight and ramifications, often far beyond what we could ever foresee. As we delve into the repercussions of his decision, you'll find yourself riveted by Donald's transformative tale.
In this heart-rending narrative, we navigate through the depths of Donald's incarceration and the consequential emotional battles he faced. The loss of his brother serves as a pivotal turning point, inspiring a renewed perspective on life. Donald emphasizes the power of positivity in decision-making and the essentiality of surrounding oneself with uplifting influences. As our conversation unfolds, we explore the influence of genuine, heartfelt conversations and the healing power of sharing our stories. Tune in to Donald's powerful narrative and unearth the significance of aligning our choices with our genuine selves.
Welcome back to another episode of let's Just Talk About it podcast. I'm your host, chuck, and if you're here for the first time, this platform was created to give genuine people just like you an opportunity to share a portion of your life's journey. So, with that being said, today I have Donald Brooks Jr on with me, where he shares how it was growing up in Chesapeake, virginia, and what led him to receiving a lengthy prison sentence in the state of Virginia, where he's been since 1996, at the age of 16 years old. So, hey, do me a favor, go and grab your husband, your wife, your children, or even call a friend and listening together to my conversation with Donald on let's Just Talk About it podcast, hey, let's jump right in. Welcome back to another episode of let's Just Talk About it podcast. Today I have my guest, donald Brooks, from Chesapeake, virginia, but who's currently incarcerated at the Lindenburg Correctional Center here in Virginia. What's up, man? How you doing today?
Speaker 1:How you doing.
Speaker 2:Doing all right. Man, I wanted to have you on to share a part of your life's journey, because you've been incarcerated now since 1996, right at the age of 16. Right, yeah, let's go back, man. So how was it for you growing up in Chesapeake, virginia? What was that like for you?
Speaker 1:It wasn't hard as I thought it was. It was like a piece of neighborhood. At the time I chose the streets, my grandma, eva Lee Brooks, and my sister, felicia I was raising. I chose the streets and went against everything that they taught me. So every decision I made after that led me to this. But it was a family-orientated neighborhood. Yeah, I mean, I was growing up family-orientated, so basically it's peace, a hard living and stuff. I made it more on myself. I got caught up in the street life.
Speaker 2:Why you felt you did that, though Because you never know who's listening. You may be speaking to somebody who's in the street right now why you think you went against the grain of your family.
Speaker 1:Because I was the influence you wanted to be accepted.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I got you.
Speaker 1:I did a lot of things that I wanted to be accepted, a lot of stupid things that I really didn't agree with and I don't agree with there, but I wanted to be accepted by people outside. I felt like that was cool and it really wasn't who I was. I made decisions based on what I thought was going to make me accepted. That's not. It's a natural. Like I said, it wouldn't get the grain of who I naturally am. You keep it to yourself. This is going to happen. You're going to jail if you do this and you still do that. Only a mad man would do it, and that's fact it ain't. No, you might get away one or two times from when you do your court, you go on to jail. They got somewhere for you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, sure, yeah. So growing up in Chesapeake, you getting older, so what was the worst decision you ever made in your life?
Speaker 1:To commit this crime.
Speaker 2:Wow, talk about it.
Speaker 1:Okay, Me and my homeboys decided to go rob a store and like I didn't wake up that morning with the thoughts of doing it. Yeah, it was like it wasn't even on my thought. I'm mad. It came up a couple of times and like at the same time I mean, I got a haircut once Friday morning, I got a haircut like I said, and when I came back, I suppose it's been in school, didn't we? I was on my way to school and somebody was like, as I proceed to go get out of the car, somebody said, man, let's go, rob, let's go. I was like, man, they ain't doing this. That's what I said. Somebody was like man, come on, man, just do this one, just do this one lick from me, and against everything I stood for, I caved in, though. I caved in, and my whole life changed from that one decision, like that's why, right now, I don't care about who liked me, I'm going to be me.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Like I made a decision going against what I stood for for, trying to be cool, and like, from that day on, my life never been the same. Like never been the same. That was the beginning of the end and that decision right there. That's how I know. Every decision that I made matters, though you got consequences behind it. Absolutely man, I didn't want to do it. I felt like when I was going to that store I felt strange.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Just a few I would change my life in the Sawyer's life and I apologize for that to this day, for doing what I did Didn't mean to even kill them, but From that one bad decision to going against the grain led to that Just growing a family, two families.
Speaker 2:Yeah, wow. So now that you've been in, how many years?
Speaker 1:Going on 27. 27. Like it's been so long though December 1st 1996 to now, I think it's going on 27. 27,.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's 27 years, yeah, yeah. So how you feel right now, man, like after doing all that time, what are you emotionally? How you feel now? That's a long time bro.
Speaker 1:I make no excuses for my actions. Right Of my age, I was a child. Yeah, absolutely yeah, I'm a middle-aged man right now at this moment. I know when I come home what I'm capable of doing because I'm going to stay focused. I know that Absolutely Like that way of living don't even exist in me, no more. Even though I'm in here, like you got to start in here you know what I mean here like I'm not thinking about going around, nobody saying, man this, go rob a store. I'm not going around. Nobody saying, man this, go shoot up a block. I'm not hanging around. Nobody saying, man this, go punch and throw. If you do get that train of thought, I'm not going to be around you Once you're expected to meet. I'm not going to be around you because I know what it leads to. It leads to destruction, though Not only for you, for your neighborhood, your family, not only your family or the victims' family, like just some families, man, and then, like I'm not built to do that again, I take my family, I take another family to do that same situation again.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:It's a life, though. You can never get a life back. I got to carry that for the rest of my life Like senseless.
Speaker 2:If you had a chance man to talk to the younger you right now, you could go back to the age 15, because you were 16 when you committed the crime. If you could go back to 15, what would you tell yourself right now?
Speaker 1:Man, do not destroy your life before you started. Yeah, like, go to school, get that education, tell your people you love them, because every day is my promise. Man, just make wilder decisions, because life is precious, though, and once you throw it away, you can never get it back. And like I took somebody like they could never get theirs back. Man, I got to carry that on my shoulder and like when I go off a parole, I can ask for mine back. I can't like it's kind of survivors regret like Ramoy, like I'm asking for my life, but the person I took from this earth can never ask for theirs back. Wow, and I'm forever sorry for what that, but you don't want another chance to show that I'm not that person on my worst day, though? Absolutely, that's just my worst day and like it can't define who I am. It's like a threat of who I am. It made me to this person I am today, but I'm not that person. I'm not a 16 year old child trying to be loved back People that don't love you back.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I'm trying to be cool, I'm trying to be down. Nah, I'm a grown man gonna make wise decisions every time because I know it matters Right.
Speaker 2:Man, it's your question. Man, you got a great support system. I interviewed your sister called the Hand. I Was Delt, which was a powerful interview man. You have a great support system from your niece and your family. So if you had an opportunity right now to share something with your mom and your dad from the heart, what would you say to both of them? Thanks, Wow, Talk about that. Why would you say thanks Like?
Speaker 1:thanks for riding with me through this big Like. I see people coming here that has no family and I see how I was blessed Before I came here. I could have never seen this Like. I'm blessed to have a family, that I am my pops. I'm blessed to have my father. He ain't a pop, he's a father. Wow.
Speaker 2:No matter what.
Speaker 1:My dog love you. What's up? Dv love you, but he loved me. He definitely showed me. Poochie showed me, like I've seen love, like at first I ain't they were giving it to me, I didn't know what it was.
Speaker 2:What it was, yeah.
Speaker 1:Man, it's been shown and proved what it is and like I'm obligated, Like people say I'm old about nothing I owe people, and it might not be signed nationally, but it is to say, hey, it did change them for the best.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:They showed them that I can succeed out there and in the real world and become a productive citizen. That's what I owe them.
Speaker 2:Shout out to Dad, shout out to Mom. Poochie DV hey woman.
Speaker 1:Thank you, thank you and thanks to you for allowing me to tell my story Like I appreciate that you all make mistakes in life.
Speaker 2:Some cost us a little, some cost us a lot. But I truly believe everybody deserves a second chance. Man at it, you know.
Speaker 1:And I do too. You know, one of the hardest things like since we talking second chances Like. One of the hardest things for me to do, though, is to forgive the dude who killed my brother, but every time I try to hold it like, hold it in my heart, I say, hey, I'm asking for forgiveness. Who am I? to deny somebody else. That's deep, and even though I feel like my forgiveness is nothing but like, sometimes, like you've really got to clear your heart, though, Hmm, talking about that, you said sometimes you got to clear your heart. You got to clear your heart. Like that's what I fight with. Like sometimes I feel like man. If I was seeing, what would I do?
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:I'm not the old dude you used to be, so I have no choice but to forgive him.
Speaker 2:Wow, that's powerful man.
Speaker 1:That was just further than me, from my mom and wife. I'm not that strong, but she broke it down and she said she's forgiven one of my, that's her son, that's my brother, and I'm asking for forgiveness from different, like I can't be hypocritical in this situation. I can't be biased on my behalf and unbiased on an ex-man by her Right.
Speaker 2:So what happened to your brother? I never met him, man, and what was that feeling for you?
Speaker 1:It was devastating. Hmm, somebody like somebody. He was close. I don't know if he was close to him, but I slowly don't understand the situation.
Speaker 2:Hmm, but he was killed in his house.
Speaker 1:I don't know, did he know dude or he didn't know dude? Hmm. But, I just know, when I heard that news, that was the hardest news that I ever, since I've been incarcerated.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 1:Just so my little brother is gone from this earth from another man's hand.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And then the first thing I said I did it to somebody else, man. Hmm, man, I'm in the same boat.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Somebody feel the. I mean somebody feel the same way.
Speaker 2:Hmm.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he made me feel.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you hear a lot about trauma out here. You hear a lot about depression out here and anxiety. Do you go through that a lot on the inside, being in there, has it affected you in that way? Depression and so forth, mm-hmm.
Speaker 1:And he is more like to me. It's more like a psychological battle now.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:Like any man, can I mean any man is capable of fighting and killing a man, but like that may change his sanity. Yeah, man, and his faith focus in here in a negative neighbor. Yeah, this whole environment is negative. You gotta make a positive into it.
Speaker 2:Hmm.
Speaker 1:And if you leave me influenced, you just gonna stay the same. You know it's hard, though, man, I'm kind of done Like I'm, so I'm used to people Too, used to messing up Like for me to just stay focused and positive when somebody was like, hey man, it's something basic. You been here, hey man, you know you're not a kid, I don't do that, don't. Man, I'm home, I don't do it. Yeah, I want to go home with you. That's right. You're not gonna say that If I mess up, it's my life.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You gonna be like oh man, that man kept it real. It ain't keeping it real, man, I don't do it, you get caught.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you mess it up. So far.
Speaker 1:Yeah, If I mess up myself. I'm going down the same road. Yeah, but like it's more of a psychological battle here, emotional battle in here. I like that. Like sometimes I get down, like right now, when I'm at now, to see people go home as consistent as they do. Yeah, I ain't used to it. Yeah, I got to get used to it.
Speaker 2:Seeing people go.
Speaker 1:yeah, man, that hurt too you know, I'm used to being at Walgreens Street, red Wing, sussex, like don't nobody go home? We talk about going to the next car, the Swedish car fan. What? We going, man, somewhere we can get over them. Yeah, it's just an emotional battle. Like it's more emotional and psychological than that. That's actually it. The physical battle is over for me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but just the mind.
Speaker 1:What's up with you?
Speaker 2:son. Yeah, yeah, man glad you holding up.
Speaker 1:Thanks, man, I appreciate it, I appreciate you talking to me, man, absolutely man. It's like do my sister and see, I see she pitting the love she gave me, she pitting positive people. Man in my life, now that light, and that's what I need, positive people. I can't go around and somebody's been doing the same thing, even going doing since I been gone.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:That's doomed, that's failure. But like I said, man thanks for my person from the inside.
Speaker 2:Thanks, I've been on the other side, man, not as long, but I've been there, knowing how it feels to be away from your family and all of that stuff you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it is Like some of them you can never see again. You can never see nothing to them again, Like, and it hurts. Yeah, it hurts man, but this comes from bad decisions. I put all of them on myself, so there ain't no sympathy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I got you. So, man, what would you say to a young guy right now, man, who you see yourself in and you got an opportunity to talk to him? What would you say to him?
Speaker 1:Man. Love life, love yourself. Yes, sir. Make decisions not just for yourself, but for others. Talk about it. Life is precious, though, and it can go away in an instant. Like it seemed like time is hard and y'all, and you just give up, and it's easy. It's so easy to give up, though. Because you give up, you don't care about nothing.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 1:And when you give up to me that show, that weakness I gave up years ago. That show was a weakness. You have one minute remaining. That's what bad decisions right there lead to Time. Time you got one minute remaining on your conversation. That's what it is, man Love your life, live your life and make wise decisions, man.
Speaker 2:Man great conversation. For the better.
Speaker 1:No, and thank you once again. Boom ladies, yes, sir.
Speaker 2:Yes, sir.
Speaker 1:Talk to you soon man. All right, thank you. I appreciate your confidence. All right, man, thank you for using GTL.
Speaker 2:Wow, what an amazing conversation. Shout out to my friend, donald Brooks, for having this dialogue with me. One of the things he said that really stuck out to me was love life, love yourself and make right decisions, not just for you but for others, because life is so precious and it can be going away any minute now. So shout out to you, donald, for that wisdom. And hey, my podcast is not just about the prison system, but it's about having those genuine conversations with genuine people, no matter if you're incarcerated or free in society, because I believe everyone has a story to share and just maybe your story can help someone who feels like they're the only one going through a situation. So, hey, if you want to share your story, you can contact me at let's Just Talk About it 22 at Yahoocom. As always, thank you so much for tuning in to let's Just Talk About it podcast, and please check out my website, justgooglelet'sjusttalkaboutitpodcastcom and then hit that subscribe button to receive all the new episodes every Friday. So, as always, until next time, don't hold it in, but let's just talk about it. Talk to you soon.
