True story: Robin Shockley is always up for exploring opportunities, and is challenged with experience, and encounters on the road.
After filming this weekend in North Carolina on the movie set “wolves at the gate” something happened.
During the prison scene of Bougie Patty I was getting the experience of what it was like to be in a jail with no windows and cold temp and steel seats. The day after returning back to my reality, I picked up an Uber customer who has served time in real prison for some serious crimes. And now he is awaiting another sentence for a larger crime that “he took the fall for because he’s no snitch” he said.
I closed out the ride and I turned myself around to talk to him. And when I dropped him off we sat in the car for another 30 minutes talking. Mostly it was me listening to what he had to say. He was really a nice young man who just got steered down the wrong path with the wrong people and now he’s stuck and don’t know how to get out of this life. He has kids young boys and he told his kids he don't want them to grow up to be like him. His parents are good people and they were not involved in any kind of life of crime. He said he's just waiting and ready to get it over with and go back to prison. Once you’re in this lifestyle so to speak, it becomes a regular routine of living in a continuous cycle watching your back at all times.
I won’t mention his name, so don’t try to find out who he is because I will not tell or do I remember but he literally showed me some footage from times in the past that was hard to watch. He had the real life while in prison because some of the wrong choices that he made along the path when he was young. There is a lot of violence that goes on in the prison, just as much as it goes on out here in the world.
A lot of what goes on behind closed doors that we the privileged people out here in the world don’t see, is shocking. And yes, there are some prisons that are allowed cell phones inside if you know the right people and you have the money to buy them out. And yes there is a lot of other things they go on in those closed walls that we will never hear about. And I do not care to ever repeat.
My favorite movie is “Up Close & Personal” with Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert Redford. There is a scene in the movie where Alley goes to the prison to do an interview with the inmate character Fernando. And ever since I saw that movie, I’ve always wanted to go into the prisons to get an interview with a real inmate about their story. As a interviewer myself on the low key it has always been an ultimate dream of mine to be on the front lines of media as a journalist, writing stories, and telling the truth, as we see it right before our eyes.
Here’s trailer of the movie and there is a clip of it, showing the jail scene:
God knows my heart. I didn’t have to go inside the prison to get an interview. Not only did he give me the cool experience to be an actress in a feature film movie as a bougie celebrity inmate, God brought a criminal man to me through an Uber ride with a similar story of the man in the movie up close and personal. This was the third time I have picked up this guy over the course of this year and we remembered each other. We don’t know each other’s real names, but we are cordial and we are kind. And although we are from two different worlds, He was advising me some things to be on the lookout for, areas to stay away from and the people to be on the lookout for. (Little does he know I'm all over the place and you never know where I will be -that is one of my slogans when I do my videos)
He shared stories with me about the political government and the manipulation, and of how criminals get trapped with extra crimes that don’t even relate to the charges that they are being charged. I can't go into details as honestly. I didn't want to hear all that and that's sad to say because that's not my field of expertise. However, I know people who know people who know people, right? (Inside, joke with my crew and cast members of the film wolves at the gate.)
And although he was all tatted up & speaking with his gang language of what I picked up and having an outward image of what some people may not accept, in that moment, I was his friend, who was just a listening ear. At the end of the conversation, I told him I was gonna be praying for him to do right and for him to be safe out here in the streets. I also shared with him and looked in his eyes and I said to him,
“God chose You don’t ever forget that no matter what you have experienced or what you have done God chose you. You have a choice to do good with your life and I believe you can.”
I asked him why do you feel so comfortable to share so much details with me and be open with me about your life story and your journey? And his reply was
“I get good vibes from you and I know I haven’t said anything that would, or could incriminate me”
Not to boast, but not everybody can get in an atmosphere, and bring peace to someone who is angry and bitter and turn it around. I don’t feel as if this is a gift I just feel that God created me to be different and to be set apart. Over 30 something years ago the Lord gave me a prophetic word that somebody may not understand and I still have it written down today. This word will be in my biography book “life beyond the trees, a rebirth of a new woman” when it’s complete.
God told me that I was set a part that I was different. I wasn’t born to fit in, but yet he was going to put me in areas around other cultures to make a positive impact. I looked back over the years, and I can testify that I truly have had the ultimate experience of being surrounded by various cultures and backgrounds of living.
I have experienced and been around things that I am not proud of and yet I do not regret because it has been my growth spurts to teach me to be a better woman who I am today.
I definitely am not the woman that was 10 years ago or even five years ago, or even 5 days aGo! My experiences have taught me strength, courage, and bravery and boldness but most importantly, compassion, empathy, and the most important, unconditional love.
I thank God he helped me bring good vibes to this young man and give me the opportunity to live out one of my dreams to interview a former & future prison inmate, and to have the experience to be in a movie with some amazing people and get the emotions to feel what prisoners feel as their first entrance in the door.
My life purpose has always been since I can remember over 30 years ago "impacting one generation to another by the positive seeds we sow today" I had just spoken on, said to some of the crewmembers there I know I'm supposed to impact positive with different generations. And that is exactly what happened while driving in the Uber car that night.
Never overlook the encounters that you face with people because it could be that one moment in time they could shift their reality and their minds that to believe the possibilities to change or have a better life. Be the vessel be the messenger. Bring good to this world. We all need it and I encourage you look inside someone's heart and find out who they really are not what they outer layer shows you.
it was an Amazing day of Filming this feature film “Wolves at the Gate. This movie is epic! It’s based on true events of Mrs Sharon Davis directed by Andrew Gajadhar and Faith Creech. The energy in the room
Was wild and everyone flowed with the scenes. Bougie Patty was was making her rounds getting her celebrity selfies with the crew & cast.
See the tiktok videos here:
(With cast & crew)
(With crew)
(Bougie Patty)
Focus Forward with Robin
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Who is Robin Shockley?
About the Blogger:
Robin Shockley is the Founder of “Focus Forward with Robin”. She is a Writer of magazines, and radio/TV Host, Actress, Community Servant-Leader, Entrepreneur, Motivational Speaker, and Author of books. She believes there is freedom to move forward in life to think, believe and achieve a thing.
Robin Shockley is a social media network blogger and interviewer who travels the country showcasing small businesses for social media branding through her expertise of Public Relations with writing and video WHY story interviews partnered with 106 Live Radio out of Atlanta and Mr Big South Music Management Studio to feature Tasteful Tips and Trips Food Podcast in Charlotte.
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