Conversation with ed jed ashman, we support the arts and humanities and this event is thanks in part to because of the sponsors and volunteers and we owe them a great debt. A few announcements. I hope youre following the gaithersburg book festival on facebook, twitter and instagram. Please use the hash tag, gbf. Youre feedback is very valuable and just to my left, your right, some surveys available. By submitting a survey you enter into win a 100 series a gift card which i assume you will spend on books. Chris wilson will be signing his books immediately after the presentation and copies are of his book the master plan are on sale in the poll thicks and prose events. Please support politics and pros and the authors who came here to share the talents and grab a get. Signed books make a great gift. Never too early to think but that. Today we hear from one of my favorite sons of d. C. He is a selfdescribed story teller, artist, entrepreneur, author, and a great advocate for social justice. His book the master plan, my downapproximate from life in prison to a life of purpose is inspiring, instructive and triumphant. He used his hard work and haaser plan to turn a life sentence into a Second Chance. Aft 18 he was sentenced to philosophy prison with no hope of patrol but he doesnt rely on the old tropes tropes of boot ss and. The washington, dc of his childhood is beset by generational trauma. You find yourself stressed by the sometimes inevitable feeling of horror with his lifeending incident which resulted in years of prison for wilson. What follows is a gripping narrative of determination and triumph, not just for him but for the community which continues to build and nourish his master plan. This book is as nourishing us a heartbreaking, as sober as inspiring and real as the divide between empathy and action we find ourselves in now. Look forward to the conversation today between our author and the gar theirsburg mayor, judd ashman, join me in working jesus ashman and chris wilson. [applause] thank you so much, hannah, and were so looking forward to the new story the silver springs. So, this is a remarkable book. We have im sure we have all read good inspirational the tales of redemption before. I think this book delivers on that front but also happens to be outstandingly written piece, and so i want to give you all a flavor of this and ask chris to just read from the prologue and then well get into in some questions. How is everybody doing . Great. Thank you for coming out. They came to my cell at 4 00 a. M. But i was already awake. Dressed, and standing by my bunk. It wasnt that i couldnt sleep. Those days i was sleeping better than ever. I was more like my body knew, this is the moment, chris, ten years, four months in the making, lets get it done. You ready, wilson . Im ready. They walk me down the tier, everyone asleep at this hour, nothing but the sound or our shoes on the concrete floor. The doors buzzing, as the guard push them open, then the clinging shut as we left. They put the cuffs on to process me through the last get a, the guard whispering, good luck, wilson. Were rooting for you. As he looks the chain around my waste i waist. When he extend away he was all business as usual. The transfer bus took almost an hour and ten minutes, through the Rolling Fields of howard county, 30 on the interstate, another 15 through the washington, dc suburbs. To the courthouse in upper marginal bro where my original trial has taken place. Still dark. There wasnt much to see past my own reflection, looking bag at mel through the bars, across the bus window. In the basement of the courthouse another set of doors, and metal detectors, another set of procedures. They lock me in a holding cell with five members of ms13 street gang. Skinny, salvadoran with tattoos on their faces because ms13 is no joke. The members are dedicated to the life. I wasnt chained but i was in my prison uniform. I never wore it because i wanted to look on the outside like the man i was inside. But it was required here. This was who the system said i was. The salvadorans watched me with suspicion as also i slid on to the bench. I nodded but nobody nodded back. Eventually they started arguing in spanish whether or not i was snitch it into the cell to eaves drop and gather information. They were in for preliminary hearings but the state had nothing. They said. But dont say anything around him. I spoke fluent spanish, spoke three languages fluently. And sat i was working on mandarin at the time. But i didnt react. I didnt want to spook them. We were in a cell for almost two hours, and for the last hour, nobody said a word. Inmate 26597 5. Wilson, lets go, wilson. I said as i left. Just so they knew. I wrote up in the elevator with a black female bailiff, the grandmotherly type. Her hair set, uniform suppressed, smelled nice. Nothing in prison smells nice. You have good judge, she said. Shes a fair lady. What is your sentence . Life. Oh, she said as her face dropped. For lifers she knew there was no good news. Well, good luck. Oh, judge was on her high seat, studying me as i entered. How many men like me has she seen today . I wondered. How many this week . How many this month . The jury box was empty but the public benches were packed with people, mostly women and children, waiting fir the loved ones to be called and i searched the crowd. But nobody looked back. All these friends and families were here for other prisoners. I knew nobody was coming for me. The only person there for me, my probono lawyer, keith, was laughing and joking with the states attorney. I had known keith for more than seven years and trusts him with my life. For when i sauce him laughing with the stays attorney it threw me off. The old street mistrust kept coming back. Trying to keep me inside forever. Why are you talking to her . Keith put is hand around my shoulder and winked, we got this chris him looked confident but keith always looked confident. He looked confident the day i met him he lawyers room in the institution when i was 21yearold lifer who with the 23yearold bam by law intern with slicked back care and a south boston accent so thick could i barely understand him. It took us six years and five rejections from the judge to get this sentence modification hearing. The only way a lifer like me could get back from under, every three months keying slapped this ratty brief case on the table and smiled like he knew everything secret in the book and said, they turn your request down again, chris, but dont worry, easy for you to say when you get to drive home. Your honor, were prepared if the court is ready. The states attorney hammered my crime like i knew she would. A man was shot six times, your honor, she said, in the middle of the chest, shot in the lower right side of the chest, shot in the right but tox. And right elbow. Shot in the hand. Your honor, as he was running. Murder. Your honor, while returning away. Hell never be able to better himself, she said. Hell never be able to say, im proud of myself. I got an associates degree. He will never know his children. Never know his grandchildren. He was shot down at 31 years of age. That defendant, pointing at me, without any thought of what his life was like, took it away. The states attorney sat down, and i could feel the spectators leaping forward because this was more than a crime. It was murder. And i was more than a prisoner. I had been sentenced to natural life in a prison system in the state of maryland at the age of 17 and had only one shot, this shot. As ever walking out of my cell alive. So everyone in the courtroom wanted to know what i had to say. Was i innocent . Was i falsely accused . Was there extenuating circumstances like selfdefense . The judge turned to me like, well, curious, i hoped. I took a deep breath. This was it. My life in a moment. My fate in astrangers hands. My last chance or i would die in prison and a prison cell, 30, 40 years in the future, an old man, slurping watery food out of plastic bowl of but yet i felt calm. Knew what i had to. Do your honor, i said, i want to tell you the truth. [applause] my first question is for all of you. Who having listened to that isnt interested to raved this book . Seriously. And spoil iralert, kris is here so something good must have hand. Want to backtrack in your life. You group in northeast d. C. In temple hills. What was it like particularly on division avenue . I grew up in washington, dc, in the late 80s, early 90s and unfortunately around this time washington, dc was the murder capital of the united states. So there was a lot of gun violence. A lot of drug activity at a time when the crack epidemic was sweeping through the communities and just changed very rapidly like that. And part of your time was also in Prince Georges County, where your mom lived. Yes. So, my weekends were different. Kind of describe myself as a hybrid. Spent monday through friday in the neighborhood in washington, dc, and then i was staying in Prince Georges County of the weekend with my mom and it was very different. We had a swimming pool. my mom hadly latest cars and work harold it and was a different experience, mixed race neighborhood, white people and all kinds of people and we all were cool it and was very different. Great, actually. So in the book, you talk about growing up in the inare city and use this fantastic metaphor of platos al gory of the cave. Want to talk about that . Sure. I still get tease for this but im not into sports. Odont watch a lot of tv. Im a rather. Youre at home today. Clearly. So growing up, i would get in trouble by my grandmother because i would cross the four lane highway just to go to the library and had a childrens section in this library where the librarians would just read to us and i read this childrens friendly version of platos al gory to cave and its about prisoners who were chained up and the spend their lives in these caves but they imagine a reality looking into the shadows cast on the wall and one prisoner managed to escape the cave and leaves and the discovers this beautiful world outside of the cave and its vibrant colors and magnificent light and its the world we know today. And so different versions, the version i read, this person is captured and return back to the cave and he feels horrible because he knows what is outside of the cave and everybody else inside the cave, theyre getting on him like, you try to leave, thought you were better than us, and this story stuck with me because it reminds me of my community i was growing up in at the time where people would be killed for tennis shoes or anything. So all throughout my leave i weved this through the book i thought about the perspective of believing in a world that was different from your everyday reality of, forsays, what is happen on your block. So, you continually use this throughout the book to talk about people who are enlightened and people who arent. People who understand theres something more and people who dont. Right. I feel like we have a responsibility. Once you understand what is possible in the world and what you can do with your life, i feel like we have responsibility to go back, whether its in figuratively, go back into the cave or into the communities and help people understand what is possible in the world. Thats why i continue to tell the story. So, lets talk about what sort of led to the incident that got you locked up. Right. So, again, around this time it was lot of gun violence and my family, my cousin had been shot 17 times in front of the house mitchell brother was shot also. And my mom, who was dating a Police Officer, and he was kind of like the Denzel Washington on training day. A Police Officer but not like good Police Officer, and he attacked us one day, and i started carrying a gun after this. He started stalking our family and all my siblings, we all started carrying guns, even my sister. So, one night when i left the house, some man started following me and i had my gun on me, but i didnt want to use it, and so i walked towards a gas station in the 7eleven and i thought they wont do anything to me here issue hope. There wasrot of people and men came up to me, they were in 30s and i was 17 and i to surround meds ask thenned me and they said we know where you live at and where your family is, well get all ol youve guys and one guy tried to get behind me and i just panicked and startedded shooting and a took a persons life. How long after that did they catch you . , i i would was arrested two weeks later and i was confused because when i found my weapon, they both ran off in a different direction, and i didnt know i had hit anyone so i didnt even believe what i had done. So, once you are locked up, they initially take you to county jail, and i would say, having read this book, one of the most affecting chapters is when chris first gets into county jail, i believe its rights after you get sentenced, they put you in solitary because they separate the lifers from the rest of the general population, i guess, and it is the experience of what was its, 30 days. A month of solitary. Is literally horrifying, and you describe it in never actually seen it described heard about this but never signed described like that before. So, one, without sort of reliving it and horrifying everybody here, maybe talk about that, but then since you have been out, have you been involved in any sort of efforts to change how we do that. Right. So, yeah, i write vivid live about my experience in solitary confinement and like that incident it was about a little over 30 days but i actually did 117 days prior to that in solitary confinement, and lets be honest, the most horrific experience that you can imagine, and i its strange because i wasnt allowed to have any human contact, and so i would do things like lay on the floor in my cell, try to catch a breeze that would blow down the hallway. I would yell in hopes of someone yelling back. Just wanted to hear or see another human being. And i just wasnt allowed to do it. And you were at the time 17 or 18. I was 17 well, just turned 18. Okay. And so it was terrifying for me just tactile sensation, were rub the walls, count stuff, think but everything that i could remember from my childhood. But i survived that. But like eventually fast forward and like today, most of of this didnt make into it the book but two years ago i became a painter and started making art and one of my first paintings i did was titled solitary confinement is torture, and so part of being an artist, it forced me to research and defend what im painting about, and what i researched and found out that in united states, 80,000 men, women and children, on the state level, are subjected to solitary confinement. And solitary confinement has been deemed by the international community, around the world, as torture. So we torture our people. Regardless if theyve been already being punished but how do you expect people to. Come home and be productive in society if were torturing them. So thats very important to mention that. There are efforts elsewhere, period quickly will see in maryland, too, for to legislate away this particular practice. Right. As also seen that there are psychological studies on the impact, particularly on minors, of that longterm solitary. Right. So, eventually youre moved over to the institution and thats different. Talk about how thats different. It was different in the sense that what you think prison is. In the youth program, you had to go to therapy, and i was probably like two or three teams a week, mandatory you had to work a job. And you had to stay out of trouble and it was a program if you stayed out of trouble you moved much levels. That being said, it was a marx security prison and everything on the streets, except guns, was inside of prison. We even had women inside of the prison. You can imagine how bizarre pressen was live. Babies being made and People Killed and weird stuff at the same time, this the point where something snaps and you develop the master plan and turned your life around. Right. So, growing up, my mom always instilled in me i write about how she instilled in me entrepreneurship and being a good person, and its important to say thissisms know i was convicted of a terrible crime, which im remorseful for. I didnt start this. Didnt want to do this. And i felt like my life was in danger so when im in prison a lot of anymore prison who just some of them belongs in there. All kinds of stuff was happening and i knew in my heart i was good person. And so i wanted to prove it. Nip can tell you im good and ive changed and everything, but i figured i want to show people how intelligent i am and how im a good person and why my life is redeemable and thats when decided to lock myself in my cell and write out what i call my master plan, which was embracing education, and checking off a few thing is always wanted to do. But most importantly, was going back into the same communities i grew up in and help lead people out of that figurative cave and help convince some people to lay their guns down and embrace a beautiful life. While this was happening the Political Climate in maryland wasnt so promising for lifers. Parole was at the time the governor had said no more parole for lifers, right. Right. And so that was i called it a positive delusion. Know what the governor same life means life you grow old and die in prison and a lot of anymore the prison who had been there 30, 40 years it and was like, look, chris, get comfortable because you not getting out. And ive always stubborn growing up, neighbor a bad way, but i chose not to believe it. I believed i could get out. So how would you describe the master plan, what it actually is. The master plan is essentially like a philosophy of how we should live our lives. And so at the back of the book i have 32, 33 things to remember when creating your own master plan. Think about the master plan as first you think about what is your end game. We only have one life to live. How do you want to live it. What are people going to say about you when youre not commute keis kind of like bucket list. We should reward ourselves, travel, learn different cultures, but also its not just about us. We should give back. And help other people. Right . And so i created this list about two pages, all the things wanted to do all my educational accomplishments i wanted to achieve, place is wanted to visit, and i sent a copy to the judge, i sent a copy to my grandmother because everyone listens to grandmas and thats the important thing about the master plan you need to share itself with sun and allow them to hold you accountantable and did that and taped a copy on the wall and went to school, went to therapy and i exercised every day for about a decade. Literally every single day. That story in the prologue is after how many years you had been in there. Ten and a half years. Ten1 2 years and then you get this reconsideration hearing. And obviously it works out well for you. Yeah, and then some. So, quick question. Just a little to the side. You talk about how throughout your life books have meant a gravity deal you, you started a book club with the best name for any book club, in prison, the book crushers. Its like a book club and also trash talking at the same time. Yeah. Why do you think reading has meant so much to you . I think growing up really poor and not having access a lot of things, reading allow not being into sports and watching tv or stuff, reading allowed me to escape and use my imagination and explore the world. I had no money to travel, like to new york or go anywhere or south america but i could read about it and so it just allowed me to do that and provided comfort. It still does. I read a new book every week but its something that is so beautiful and so rewarding, especially for young people. It shapes their mind. You have in the book theres a list of recommended reading at the end. Are there a couple of particular books that meant a lot to you in your life you want to talk about . Yeah. A whole bunch. But that would be a hard question for me, too. Platos al gory. West more, who who wrote my forward, a good book. The meaning of life but frank im blanking on the last name a lot of books ive read that i really like moby dick. And he is chasing this whale and hes adamant about catching him but destroys himself, which is very like relative to our lives. We chase a lot of stuff. Want to make a whole bunch of money and work all your life to make money and end up like ruining yourself. So tons of books. I have a bunch of books the back but theres many more. West west more writes the forward for the book how difficult was it to adjust to free life after you got out . I dont it was difficult but not know sense most people think. Just like i said earlier, everything that was on the streets was just everybody in prison has cellphones and video games and stuff. Its crazy but it was in there so i wasnt really shocked about technology and mobile devices handsfree. It was odd around me. But the most difficult thing for me was the psychological aspect of getting out of prison at 32 and not having anything to my name. Not a place to stay, not a job, and i would see a pretty woman. I had 10 phone from radio shack and i would introduce myself. Im chris. And where you work senate you got a car . Whats with this 1h for me. And so my selfesteem and everything was really being like beaten up. Especially this is d. C. What due you could . Why should i be talking to you . So it was tough for me. So, to make that question bigger, what do you think we as a society could or should be doing to make that readjustment easier for people . Thats a really good question. And what i think is lets step back as all like tax paying citizens. Lawabiding citizens, i hope. Dont know about this crowd. And someone commits a crime, they should be punished. I agree with that. More than anyone. And they call it corrections. Go to prison. Whatever social deficiency, that should be corrected. Were paying for this and they should come out and they should be able to reacclimate Society Someone breaks into your car, they go off to prison. Your dont them to go to prison and become a better criminal and come out and break into your house or taking a persons life. What we need to do is turning our prisons into success factories, providing education, and some people say why should they get a Free Education when were paying for it . Its a better investment. So when someone goes off we should eave Educational Programs and all the data supports all around the world it reduces recidivism. Changes people. And i feel like we should run out prisons differently. People out in society should understand the importance of the return we get for nat and thats the most important thing. Some people do belong in prison. There are monsters. Its real, ive met people like this but most people deserve a Second Chance. Thats the most point point. Most important point. [applause] so, what have you done since getting out . Talk about your life since. So, ive been out of prison for seven years as of two weeks ago. Im the owner of several multimillion Dollar Companies in baltimore. Held 273 people in Baltimore City get jobs, less than ten were minimum wage jobs. I have won every award in the state of maryland, including the president ial award from obama. [applause] i have im on a semester away from earning my Second College degree and if been author of for writing at Harvard Business school. [applause] so, i havent made this public but my book is being turned into a feature film so i got a movie deal to tell my story. [applause] and finally, the most important thing, in addition to the painting and the most important thing is i started my own foundation, the chris wilson foundation, and i recently awarded a scholarship to a young man who is in prison, working towards his bachelors degree, and ive been quietly supporting prison Educational Programs and thats the most important thing is philanthropy and paying it forward. [applause] amazing. So, this is going to take a little more of a serious turn perhaps personally. One of the characters when you read chris book, a big character is his mother. And chris relationship with his mother is complicated. Earlier in his life you find her to be extremely supportive and nurturing, but things take a turn for her where she gets caught up in addiction and in this abusive relationship, and then essentially abandons you, and yet i one of the first things you open the book is you dedicate i third book to her. Right. My mom has weved all throughout my book. Im shaped by my mom. My mom instilled in me entrepreneurship, instilled in me the importance of being respectful towards women and always being polite. When i was bad i was polite. And so she was very instrumental in my life, and it took me a long time im 40 now and took me a long time, a lot of therapy to understand my relationship with my mom because i was mamas boy. Used to tell me mom, when you turn 18, youre leave. Im like, mom, im never leaving she go the mail box, the store, im with her butter me and my mom was attacked and what i didnt understand then was the ptsd that people experience, from the trauma and my mom turns on me and for most of my life i didnt understand why she would say mean things, like she wished i was never born and she abandoned me when i went off to prison, but through a lot of therapy, i was able to understand that hurt people hurt people. And so what my mom was experiencing had nothing to do with me. My mom was suffering and like i understand that, and my mom unfortunately took her life and i talked to her before she did it. And it was just some things she wanted me to remember. Remember to finish my plan and dont blame her and stuff, and so he feel really bad but the takeaway from i defend indicated it to my mom because i know my mom was attacked, injured, hurt, and so i dont take my experience i dont take it personally from her, and so its important for me to say this, too because i assume theres a lot of moms in this room, and people mine. And for me, i defend indicated it to my mom, mothers are like the most important dads are cool but moms are everything. Its the most important. Even if its not your mom and grow a neighborhood and mother say get in the house, what are you doing, you dont listen to her. Its just such an important aspect of our society. [applause] i have to thank you for sharing that with us. It deeply personally as this book entirely is deeply personal, but that probably goes even further. So thank you. So we have like around 15 minutes left. Id like to open it up for any audience q a. We have microphone. Where is the microphone . Here. Brianna. We have question up front. Go ahead. Youre good. I have an easy question. I wonder but first steps. You see that cute young woman and say, hi, and i should talk to you . What did you do next and next to start your path . So, after my selfconfidence was beat to pieces, by the women of washington, dc, [laughter] i just decided, im just going to focus on my education, go back to school and ill get a good job, and im going to get a house and do all these things that the d. C. Women felt like i need i dont recommend this but thats what i did. And so i eventually i brought my dream car, drove back through d. C. And its felt good, and thats to the the most important thing. Just impressing women. The most important thing thats what i realized is focusing on better myself. And so i just focused on meed of indication, went and get a bicycle. People would laugh and i just went 0 on to college every day and get a job and did it the Old Fashioned way, the american way. Who has a question . You should stay right here. Right here at the front. Fair enough. So i work within the system, jci and the guys really look up to you, and so can you give me just two words or two sentences i can take back to my students to say, chris wilson said, x, y and z. Right. So, first thing, right, i would say especially to the folks at jci. I go in there often. Is always surround yourself with positive people. Amazing people. And there are amazing people thats in prison. So of the most innovative people, come out, book crushers, exercising, focus, reading the newspaper. I would say to them, surround yourself with people like that. And then the second thing i would say is, when you get out of prison even while you in there create your own personal board of advisers and dont tell people that you want them to be on your board but find five people who experts, relationship, finance, or whatever, and you have lunch with them or treat them to coffee once a month and these are your advisers i dont operate without having a board of adviser and these are people that give you advice, help you get through life. Thats what i would suggest. Who has in the next question. Over here. Judy clark. I just want to say, thank you, one and all, for the story and then the second the question is, how can i become involved in your foundation . I want to help. Want to volunteer. I want to work with reentry program. How do i do that . I appreciate that. Thank you. I would say right now currently im funding some art programs thats behind the fence, and in jess sunup. I have a mission to get my book in every prison in america so im working with phonings, melinda gates, and its 3,000 prisoners. Even if a its ten books into a library so how you can help, at least in the state of maryland i have my book in all the juvenile facilities and a few hundred in the prison system. You can find the other Chris Wilsons or christines in he state of maryland and send them some books. And its my book. Im bias but its a good book and i believe that like my story will resonate with some of them hind he fence. So you can spend books. You should rate. A good book, and sended off and put it in the hands people who my story will resonate with. Ill vouch for that. An excellent book. Who has a question. Where is the mic . Up here in the front. Why were you not allowed to use primary colors when you were painting in prison . Wow. Thats a good question. Someone has read the book. Very carefully, yes. Follows me on social media. So, in prison, at pleas in the state of maryland, lot of the primary colors because of Gang Activity and that wasnt allowed. And so we it was just like spice tan, gray, and maybe like some denim, but Everything Else was forbidden. So im inspired momet and picasso and i use primary colors in my work because i was deprived of it. [inaudible question] they allowed to us use some primary colors but not really. Some primary colors but physically, you couldnt have a red sock or shirt or you couldnt just colors wasnt allowed, not the primary colors. Who has over here. We got one in the back, okay. Well come back to you. This is my tighter time hearing your story and brings me to tears. How inspirational you are. I was a former teacher, and im just wondering, is there anything you do at the younger age level to before they get to the point, because thats where i see it, is these children who are just they have so much potential but the means that are not there for them. And to be inspired and to hear from people like you, i think, could make the world make a world of difference at an early age. Do you work with children of earlier ages and consider doing that bike at an eighth grade level . So, thank you for your kind words. I do. Even like next week, every day of the week, im going to schools, the past couple of days ive been going to different places and a very important because especially like in the commune is grew up in, its important for young people to see people who are look like them, thats thats been successful you say you can be a doctor or entrepreneur. No one ever gets to meet someone and its important to go and talk and tell my story so they can see its possible. You had a question. I did you have a relationship with your father at all . So, i had a brief relationship with my father right before i went off to prison, and when i was awaiting trial my father was killed, unfortunately, and regretably my last conversation with my father i cussed him out and what may dad said to me, youre so intelligent so book smart. Why dont you show people how smart you are. At least get your High School Diploma and then brought me a ged book which was mailed to me when he went off to prison and thats started everything. So i didnt have a relationship with him but i feel like any actions today he get to honor my father and my mother by being successful and embracing my education. Question. Lenny. We need the mic. Thank you. Who were you living with in d. C. . Who was i living with . With my grandmother in d. C. Im sorry. He had a house on division avenue. I live in baltimore now. Okay. Who is going to play you in the movie . [laughter] so, this isnt signed yet but michael b. Jordan is reading it right now. How great is that. Well see. Fingers crossed. We have question over here. Hold on. Wait for the mic. Its really touched my heart, your story. As a black man who murdered, how do you free live in baltimore oh, do you feel about the movement, the freddy the young man that was killed by a white Police Officers and what do you tell the people in the organizations that you work with . How do you relit relate relate to it. Thats a deep question. Im selling my art now and have companies and stuff, i could run off and lay low and be safe but i work every day in ground zero in the neighborhoods, and it hurts me to say but Baltimore City is one of the most he the most dangerous city in america, and but i dont run. I stay in these communities and do the work because people who look like me are still being killed every day. And so ive been blessed by god to have a Second Chance to police my life but that doesnt mean i can just run off and hide and just be successful and ride around in my car, whatever remember thats not what my life is midwest to be. So im going to stay on ground zero and try to save as many lives as possible and thats important. They need to hear from people who have been through what theyve been through. [applause] chris, when you look back, could you think business bored of time when you wore locked um, you more foully got out of the cave . Yeah. I dont want people to think you have to go to prison or whatever. We dont recommend that. But, like, honestly, rock bottom i write about thistoo a psychological aspect, and rock bottom is you can always go further put how reach that point when you i just want to do Something Different. Its not working out. Even like you want to break law, want to be a criminal and if its not working out, you should be doing something else. And so just like a certain point in my life i would just like i want to do Something Different and i was honestly i was never like violent person. Never was a bad person. Just put in a situation, and just important for us especially our children ate least in the state of maryland, we shouldnt judge our children on mistakes they make as children. Its 300 people in the state of maryland who committed crimes as juveniles that are serving life sentences who have no way of getting out and we just got to think, what does that say about us as society if we treat our children that way. Well end on this question. What is your end game, chris . What how do you want to be remembered . Good question. A question he asks throughout the book. I end the book like this. So, i think for me its surprises some people, throughout the book and throughout my life i wanted to be like an entrepreneur but ive learned some things over the past couple of years. And it is the power of philanthropy and helping other people without asking for anyone in return. And so what i mean i started making art and selling my art for a lot of money, and started my foundation, but its important for me to remember that i madees this far because a handful of people, all who were not related in to, saw potential and screamed at me, sent me emails, from a place of love and push me to be the person i am today, and so im in a world where we all found Chris Wilsons or christines and we say, you not related to me, you not my child but ill help you. Im going to mentor you and its beautiful to have someone like even like my college education, getting a full ride and it was, like, dont pay us back. Pay it forward. And thats the most important thing i think ive learned and all my 40 years of my life. [applause] so, i just want to say, as the proud mayor of gaithersburg, maryland, i i it is an honor to have you brain your story to our community. Thank you. Lets give chris a great round of applause. [applause] are we signing books . I think next door. Yes. Books on sale right at the politic and prose tent next door and chris will more there to sign books. [inaudible conversations]