Sudden Awakening: A Story of Attention to Young People Today!

July 11, 2002 was a hot and humid night. When I pulled it before a busy night, I was driving around Manhattan, New York City on a two-door white Mercedes-Benz CL600 by my friend Craig Boogie. club.

“Jamila will come with me for a moment.” Craig enthusiastically said when he jumped out of the car and walked around to the passenger seat door, signaling me to get off.

“No Craig! I’m not going to the club tonight.” I took decisive action, reclining the seat back and covering my slim caramel-tone face with a large black designer glass.

Craig began to complain that I was coming in, but I fired him, rolled the window and turned on the radio. Seeing that as the cause of despair, Craig entered the club without me. He thought he would just stop in a hurry, but after a few minutes Craig hadn’t come back yet. I called his phone several times but didn’t get a reply.

Excited, I got out of the car, locked the door, got angry, and went into a crammed nightclub. When I entered the building, I shouted “Surprise, happy birthday!” In a familiar loud voice.

Hugs and kisses welcomed me mainly from my friends who were celebrities and executives in the music industry. I was honored and felt distinct because they all treated me like a queen that night. I was 25 years old and a millionaire. I’ve reached the point where I thought it was a real success. I’ve become a popular and respected business woman from a little girl on the outskirts of Jamaica Queens in New York. I lived in a well-known gated community in northern New Jersey. I had a luxury collection of luxury cars and enough diamond jewelery and fur coats to fill the store. In my heart I was ready for life. Unfortunately, my success was short-lived.

Just six years later, on July 16, 2008, I stood in front of Judge Jose Linares of the Newark District Court in New Jersey, waiting to be sentenced for bank fraud. My past suddenly caught up with me. What I perceived as a general business shortcut ruined my life and destroyed my business.

My heart moved violently as the judge waited for me to make a decision. It’s been five years since my federal investigation began. I worriedly wanted to end the five-year nightmare I encountered. This long story ends in a few minutes. When I sang Psalm 23 out of breath and quietly, I thought of myself.

“I hereby sentence you to 151 months and five years of probation in federal prison.” Judge Linares, a plump middle-aged Cuban-American (who may pass White), said. Declared to hit a wooden gavel.

Some of them soon became numb. I put it all together and tried to calculate how many years 151 months corresponded to. “Twelve and a half years, oh, that’s crazy!” I said as a courtman came to detain me.

I was given some time to remove the 4-carat diamond ring, diamond tennis bracelet and matching chain, and diamond bezel watch. I put expensive jewelery in an oversized Louis Vuitton bag, along with a brand new Escalade key I recently purchased. I drove myself to court, but never expected to be sent to federal prison. When I handed over my belongings to a lawyer, his face turned bright red, along with a clerk’s parking ticket for a car parked in the court’s municipal parking lot. He was also surprised and it was clear that he could not believe that the judge had sentenced me to more than 10 years in prison.

In just a moment, I made a big difference. I was forced to take off my designer clothes and shoes and was handed a khaki prison jumpsuit and devastated blue skip sneakers. This wasn’t the case, I thought of myself. In a blink of an eye, I changed from a free woman to a federal prisoner # 59253-053. I was certainly living my worst nightmare!

Removing all the mundane props I used to hide my anxiety, I stared at a small rusty mirror in my cell. Immediately, I hated the reflection of the images I saw. Full of pounds of guilt and shame, I was burdened and disappointed. When the prison door closed behind me, I felt like my life was over!

Every day I was drowning in my negative thoughts and arranging funerals in my mind. I was trapped in a 5 1/2 x 9 cell, so I had no one to lean on or rely on. was locked up! Weeping with anxiety and sadness, my life blinked in front of me. I thought about everything I did and all the people I did my best to please. Even more unfortunately, I was abandoned by those who really thought I was my friend. The sharp pain of scars and disappointments was constant, and I realized how unfounded the superficial things I passionately pursued.

Desperate and desperate, I reached for the Bible that the next woman in the cell gave me. I read for countless hours. Each page I finished seemed to make me stronger. In the darkest part of my life, through the Word of God, I could see the light. For the first time in a while, I was quiet enough to hear the still inner voice that served me. I was immediately convicted. I knew that in order to survive the long journey ahead, I had to change my path and follow the path that God wanted me to do.

This journey was not easy, but with the grace of God I did it! Six years later today, I see things very differently than before. Through my mistakes, I recognize the importance of education and diligence. From my experience, I’ve found that shortcuts have always been the wrong route for a long time.

Behind the bar, I had to raise my children from the prison visit room. My son was 11 years old when I was first imprisoned. He graduated from high school in June of this year. This was one of the many memorable opportunities I missed. Not only did I have to suffer, but my family also suffered because of my mistakes.

I paid a strict price for my actions and realized that nothing was worth endangering my freedom! I share my story with you so that you can pay attention to my message and learn from my mistakes. No matter how desperate you look or how easy it is to get up, never commit a crime. Whichever method you cut, you will eventually get caught! Therefore, stay in school, be educated and passionately follow your dreams. The effort will ultimately pay off, and it will not be robbed. Take it from me, the crime just won’t pay off, so don’t do it!