I watched the documentary Coldwater Kitchen the other night. It reminds me of a long lonesome journey that some people take (been there myself). And Chef Jimmy Lee Hill, a food-tech instructor at Lakeland Correctional Facility, is one very lonely guy.
The film begins with him justifying his 670 miles per-week drive back and forth to prison. He says, "I absolutely love my job because I get a chance to be with somebody that genuinely cares about whether I am there or not." Then the camera pans in on him cabling a knife to a counter. As a former corrections teacher, I understand what he's saying, but I also see the dangers in his thinking. In 1998, Dorothy Taylor, a food service worker at Thumb Correctional Facility, was stabbed to death by an inmate. The knife used was not cabled. Dorothy had planned to retire at the end of that year.
So what's the driving force behind Chef Hill's loneliness? He tells us he was married in 1985 and that he has three kids. He says, "I liked being married, and I liked being with somebody. So when I got divorced, I didn't want to be, but... it was out of my control. And then the next April my mom passed. I felt really like I was just by myself."
So, he spends 36 years training inmates how to cook, and he realizes that he should retire soon. But I get the impression that his loneliness will worsen; I hope not.
It's an amazing story not only about him, but three of his tutors/students: Earnest Davis, Dink Dawson, and Brad Leonard. Each with its own unique circumstance.
Here's an excellent review of the documentary:
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