Inside and Outside

I AM AN inmate of a state prison and a member of Alcoholics Anonymous. We refer to our members here as "inside" and to all AAs who are not in institutions as "outside" members. In my mind, those terms have another meaning: the "inside" and "outside" of me. The outside is the obvious, that which others see and hear; the inside is that which only I know--my thoughts, feelings, fears, frustrations, and anxieties, as well as my hopes, faith, desires, and ambitions. This, I am sure, is true of all of us.