STORY

I don't know where it

all

went wrong, but it did.

was a typical hyperactive little boy who was

always into mischief. I wasn't bad, I just liked

attention, and still do. Somewhere along the

line, after my fathers death, I chose to run with

a crowd that pushed the envelope. School

became a thorn in my side and I spent most of

my time looking out the windows yearning to

be elsewhere or drawing in my notebook. My

grades

began

failing

the sixth grade and

through high school. Teachers and principals

passed me on what I thought was social

promotion, but would later find was something

they knew about me that I didn't

even

know

about

self. I began drinking at age 16 and

spent

my first night in jail shortly after turning

17. It

would be the first in several minor clashes

with the law. Joining the

army at

18, I found a

new life for a short while until alcohol

took priority

over

the

great

army school I was in.

Drugs

became

the next

step in my walk

down

the

wrong

road and

would lead from pot to heroin and

cocaine in a

short

period

of time.

I reached a point where I wanted something better so I began college

with

the

encouragement

of a

friend

and

with the promise of money through the GI

Bill. Art school was fun and I

was an "A" student

until the drugs took

over

again and I

found little time to attend school.

In 197

, I was arrested for a robbery

of which

I had no knowledge and

under the corrupt prosecution

techniques of Henry Wades men I

was

sentenced to 25 years in prison.

was during this time that I

began to see

clearly that I had a choice to make with my life. I attended

college in prison

and earned a

Bachelors degree in psychology during my stay. I was given a

job with

the prison school district as an

illustrator for vocational

curriculum. My job pushed me over the edge in

my desire to be an artist. I

began drawing and painting and won my first award while behind the bars.

Finishing college before I made parole required that I take

correspondence

course in physics to make

up some hours

I needed

in science

to graduate

The

professor grading my papers took an interest in me

and began writing

and

visiting. He and his wife asked if I would like to come live with them

and

their

two

young children

until I could get on my feet. Not having a

family of my own to

help

and having been

turned down for my first parole, I

decided to say yes.

My new found friends took me to church with them where I heard things

that moved something within

me. I searched deeper and found a new life;

the life God had been trying to get me to lead all along. The

life I fought

with alcohol, drugs and anything else I could to keep from being one of

those squares my

friends and I hated so much.

Over the next year, I would meet a lady who was to become not only my

wife, but my greatest

supporter. Believing in me led her to offer me a two

year plan to build my business while she paid all the

bills. During that time

we went to a show in Atlantic City New Jersey where we would eventually

come

into contact with over 300 fine craft galleries that would carry my

work. My work not only sold well but I

became the recipient of several

awards.

It has been

years since my release.

My work has grown in it's diversity

from

watercolor drawings

architectural glass

, to

fine functional crafts

back to architectural glass and to drawing.

Writing

has become a hobby and has led me to find rest with my past.

have involved myself in prison

ministry so that I can let those I

left behind

know that there is hope in the Good News of Christ and that

their lives can

change.

I also speak with many parents who have children in trouble. I feel

an obligation

to work with these kids. Having made my own decisions in life

I encourage parents not, too readily, to

take responsibility for the mistakes

of their kids.

Contacts of this nature has encouraged me to obtain a

certification as a drug and alcohol counselor in the Texas prison system.

So often I tried to see the events of my life as coincidence or

serendipity but after so much

evaluation I see now that it was the

intervention of God that brought about the things that have

transpired.

My story is one of redemption and grace. I was truly dead and now I am

alive

; was truly blind and now

can see.

Writings about my experiences in prison and other stories can be found in

WRITINGS.

McCANDLESS

MY STORY

DESIGN

Sitting on the chapel steps at
the Walls unit. Huntsville, Texas