10 Things Most People Don't Know About Me

1. I'm a die hard Texas Longhorn fan. 

From a young age I remember attending Longhorn football, basketball, and volleyball games with my family. Something about the Frank Erwin Center, the smell of fresh popcorn, and the brass section playing "The Eyes Of Texas" makes me proud to be a Texan. The burnt orange color is like a Texas sunset, and Bevo is my hero. I watched Ricky Williams break the NCAA Rushing Record against Texas A and M, and I'm forever a Longhorn fan! Hook 'Em. 


2. I met President Clinton in the White House. 

Being selected by the American Legion to attend Boys' Nation in Washington D.C. as an 18-year old meant I would have the honor of stepping into the White House to shake hands with the most powerful man in the free world, the President of the United States, Bill Clinton. My adrenaline spiked as the moment arrived and I stepped forward for this once in a lifetime experience that I'll never forget. 


3. I can two step and line dance. 

Having a childhood up in the Texas hill country meant rope swings into rivers, bicycle rides down back roads, and street dances for the fun of it. It was at those street dances that I learned how to do the finer things of life like how to dance to the Cotton-Eyed Joe. I am not the best, but I might still be willing to get out there on the dance floor. Just don't ask me to dougie. 


4. I love Jodi Piccoult novels.

If you have not had the honor of reading a novel by author Jodi Piccoult you must treat yourself. Piccoult takes controversial subjects and crafts a story told from the perspective of many characters. She is a magician as the story unfolds, and the reader can empathize with vastly different points of view. I love me some Piccoult. 


5. I taught myself guitar.

We had to sit on the front row at church because our nondenominational contemporary worship team had the best musicians. As everyone was worshipping God, I was focused on the fingering of the chords the rhythm guitar players made. When we got home from service I'd rush to my bedroom where I'd spend hours mimicking what I had seen that morning. To this day there are things I do as I play guitar that don't make music theory sense but they sound beautiful and I learned them from my childhood church. 

6. I've traveled to three countries.

Perhaps I should not count America as a country I've traveled to, but I do. In addition I've been on several mission trips as a teenager to Mexico, and immediately after my Senior year of high school I was able to go to England to help plant a church in Wolverhampton. Ironically, it was in England that I discovered one of my favorite bands, an American band called The Counting Crows. 


7. I graduated top 10% in high school. 

Most of high school seemed pretty easy to me, that is until my junior year when I attempted pre-calculus. That first semester kicked my butt and I realized I was not a math whiz, nor was I able to juggle varsity football and studying for a math I was certain I would never need in life. After dropping that math class I found myself mostly in electives for my remaining time in high school. Graduation night came and to my surprise, my name was called in the top 10%. Sometimes good things just happen. 


8. I'm the proud father of two fur babies. 

Growing up my family had two black labs. I've always been a dog guy, probably because we always had dogs in our household. When I was released from prison I knew I wanted a dog but my landlord had weight restrictions for pets. After much searching, I found Max, a tiny white ball of energy and we instantly fell in love. Max and I were inseparable, but after several trips to the dog park I noticed Max loved playing with other dogs. Bella joined our family after I found her shivering at the SPCA in Houston. Max and Bella could not be more different, and I still speak to them on the phone from time to time. I love and miss my fur babies!


9. I attended the Democratic National Convention in 2000.

Growing up in central Texas automatically meant I was supposed to be a Republican. The only thing worse than saying I was a Democrat would have been if I said I was vegan. The fact that I could choose to be something other than a red-blooded, conservative, right wing, beef eating man had yet to occur to me. So why was an 18-year old, George W. Bush supporting kid at the D.N.C. in Los Angeles, California? A national organization called Youth Service America recruited teens from diverse backgrounds to encourage youth to redefine community service. Community service is a privilege, but it is often handed out by the legal system as a punishment. I'm not sure if Y.S.A. still exists, but a few of us were dubbed young reporters and given floor level press passes for the convention. I certainly missed the significance of the moment because I remember being more excited about going to the Santa Monica pier than about seeing Al Gore run for President. 


10. I've spent more of my adult life in prison than in the free world. 

I was first arrested at age 20 and ended up in custody in 2003. For the next 10-years and 10-months I lived behind the razor wire. In 2018, I was once again placed in custody and have been in prison ever sense. I regret the decisions I made that led to both of my incarcerations and I work hard everyday to become the person I know I am called to be. I have made the conscious decision to not allow my past to define my future, and I have committed my life to serving God, loving others, and choosing hope. I still have bad days, but I believe the best is yet to come.



Contact Trent directly by creating a Securus e-messaging account at SecurusTech.net or on the Securus App. You'll need his full name, State, and facility (Trenton Blythe, Texas, Texas Department of Criminal Justice). He'd love to hear from you!

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