Mental Warfare by Anthony Mitchell Jr.

Anthony Mitchell Jr.

“MENTAL WARFARE”

The ConTextos Authors Circle was developed in collaboration with young people at-risk of, victims of, or perpetrators of violence in El Salvador. In 2017 this innovative program expanded into Chicago to create tangible, high quality opportunities that nourish the minds,,expand the voices and share the personal truths of individuals who have long been underserved and underestimated. Through the process of drafting, revising and publishing memoirs, participants develop self-reflection, critical thinking, camaraderie and positive selfprojection to author new life narratives.

Since January 2017 ConTextos has partnered with Cook County Sheriff's Office to implement Authors Circle in Cook County Department of Corrections as part of a vision for reform that recognizes the value of mental health, rehabilitation and reflection. These powerful memoirs complicate the narratives of violence and peace building, and help author a hopeful future for human beings behind walls, their families and our collective communities.

While each author’s text is solely the work of the Author, the image used to create this book’s illustrations have been sourced by various print publications. Authors curate these images and then, using only their hands, manipulate the images through tearing, folding, layering and careful positioning. By applying these collage techniques, Authors transform their written memoirs into illustrated books.

This project is being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number ALN 21.027 awarded to Cook County by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

“MENTAL WARFARE” Anthony Mitchell Jr.

A mind is a terrible thing to waste when not used properly.

They say that we only use 10% of our brain, but in my world, I use 12.

Being incarcerated mentally is worse than being incarcerated physically cuz how can you think your way out of certain situations if your mind is in a critical stage like a locked box.

Only you have the key and you can either unlock it or throw the key away which means you lost your mind

If I can’t find the key, not only do I try to figure out my mindset, I try to figure out other people’s minds starting with the ones that are the closest to me.

When I was a kid I used to play with fire.

One day I found a lighter then I started playing with it. I kept setting my mother’s carpet on fire then putting it out. Then after the third try, I couldn’t put it out and the fire grew bigger and bigger.

When I had to tell her, I told her in a different way. I started singing the song Fire by that old school artist. She just stared then I started singing Fireman by Lil Wayne and then my mom asked me what are you tryna say. I just told her.

She put it out then whipped me like I wasn’t her son, but the whipping didn’t hurt as bad because I put in my head that she was just playing with me despite the bruises & whips left afterwards.

My boys is my world. My 12 year old son is so smart that it fascinates me to the max. He talks about politics & government at a young age. He wants to join them when he gets older.

While my two year old don’t wanna do nun but fight everybody & everything.

My focus be so hard that sometimes I feel like I can move a cup without touching it if I focus hard enough. It be weird to me sometimes that I’ll be thinking about something like a song then the person next to me starts singing the song. Or maybe I can fly if I focus hard enough.

The old saying is put your mind to it and you can achieve it. Well, I believe it.

My mind be all over the place like I’m here physically but my mind be someplace else like in the bed with my girlfriend.

I imagine porn scenes at times like these, so when I’m alone I masturbate to it or masturbate to other women I wanna be with or a woman I wanna be with.

Either way it’s the woman of my dreams, you can say. Like she giving oral in the middle of the street in broad daylight. Then POW!!! Right in the kisser.

If it was reality, I would walk away. I wouldn’t miss her. Yea that’s my definition of a peace of mind.

My mental is so strong that sometimes you will catch me in a daze & snap your finger like what’s wrong. “Nothing wrong, leave me the fuck alone.”

Have you ever been in a fucked up situation & always wonder what will be the outcome of it? I hate that feeling.

Do right, you will never experience that feeling.

Worst feeling is being stuck somewhere & can’t leave.

Then it’s the feeling that mentally breaks you down because in your mind you wanna leave so bad but you can’t because you’re stuck.

The whole goal of life is that you get out of it what you put in it. Live, learn then live again.

Mind over matter.

Until the lion learns to write their own story, tales of the hunt will always glorify the hunter - African Proverb Copyright

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