Now, first, & most important – Dad is not responsible for your wrong doings or your good deeds. What you have done, whether right or wrong, is your own doing.
From what I personally know, you have lived your life exactly as you pleased without regard to circumstances or persons who loved you – who might be hurt. Whether you realize it or not – your present confinement is embarrassing to me well as Dad – not because of what you did but the fact that you don’t show me any signs of SINCERE regret and seem to show no respect for any laws, people or anything. Your letter implies that the blame of all your problems is that of someone else, but never you. I do admit that you are intelligent and your vocabulary is excellent & I do feel you can do anything you decide to do & do it well but what exactly do you want to do & are you willing to work & make an honest effort to attain whatever it is you choose to do? Nothing good comes easy and I’m sure you’ve heard this many times but once more won’t hurt.
From “In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote
Capote is one of my favorite writers. His prose is clear, elegant, and precise in the use of words. He was flamboyant, but this personality trait did not mar his sentences. His indepth investigation of a terrible crime led to his nonfiction work, “In Cold Blood”—a true masterpiece. This snippet is not Capote’s writing, but a copy of a letter that a sister wrote to her incarcerated brother. Capote included it in his book. It shows how most of us can write well when the subject is close to our heart. Our emotions brighten our words: “Are you willing to work & make an honest effort to attain whatever it is you choose to do? Nothing good comes easy and I’m sure you’ve heard this many times but once more won’t hurt.”
What this woman wrote still remains one of the biggest flaws of numerous people in nowadays’ society—blaming their errors on someone else, particularly their parents or a difficult childhood. As she mentioned in this letter, we should advise those immature wimps: grow up and assume responsibility for your acts.
