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Editor’s Note: Absence of Light is a project created in collaboration with incarcerated people at Auburn Correctional Facility in Auburn, New York.

To remember is to bring in mind something, to cause to remember. To remember is to bring to mind or think of again. To recollect, to keep from forgetting, to keep in mind.

From alarm clocks being set, to calendars, to Post-It Notes, all strategically placed in places so to be seen. Whenever someone or something has been deemed worth remembering, then things will be set into motion that will compel recollection.

Pertinent means “to be relevant and relating to the matter under consideration.” So, what “matter” should be considered?

How about socializing? Yeah, that’s a good one. Socializing is pertinent to the growth and development of people as a whole. We learn so much from each other.

One of the many ways to experience life can be summed up with three basic ordinances: treat others how you would like to be treated, practice proper hygiene and stay health-conscious. These basic ordinances are the core components for positive encounters, chance encounters and farewells.

For example, I was boarding a public bus one time. Now, this is the last bus of the evening, so it’s pretty packed. And I mean standing-room-only-packed. So, I’m standing there, holding on to what I can hold on to, swaying to the rhythm of the bus, taking in the sounds, smells and uncomfortable setting as a whole.

To emphasize the extent of the situation, the driver of the bus was forced to perform “evasive tactics.” It caused me, a construction boot wearer, to step on the foot of a lady, a flats wearer, who was sitting right in front of me; awkward to say the least. But, it was the woman’s actions and reaction that blew my mind. Not only did she apologize to me profusely, but she also made light of the situation.

It was her exit, however, that stayed with me. She exited, bidding me a genuine farewell. Kudos to her for remembering to apply all three basic ordinances.

Exerting energy to purposefully forget and not use those three basic ordinances is something we practice on a regular basis. Our “selective memory” stems from our own shortcomings. We allow for callousness, laziness and selfishness to interfere with what’s most important: the growth and development of everyone. Remembering to apply those pertinent ordinances when greeting, encountering and saying farewell to someone alone will contribute to the betterment of every human on an unfathomable level.

Just a reminder: We’re all in this together. Remember that.

Henry Holifield is a Syracuse resident currently incarcerated at Auburn Correctional Facility. He is serving a life sentence.

Published on March 23, 2021 at 9:13 pm