It feels like ages since I've made a post, but I guess that's because it has been quite a while.  It's funny how we never seem to notice how quickly time goes by when we are enjoying ourselves. We so easily get wrapped up in our lives and fail to notice just how much has come to pass. At the season’s end, I was sad to realize that the summer was coming to a close, since I knew it would mean less time at OSR. Although it seems a bit odd, I have to say, leaving the building on my last day of work for the season felt like I was leaving home and I didn't know when I would get to return.  My heart was heavy and life seemed a little bit sadder without the OSR and the people who give it life.

After a couple weeks away, I was glad to return for whatever events I could. Even in my absence, the building is just as I left it and for that I am thankful. Each time I return, it is like seeing an old friend for the first time in years. I feel so excited and anxious, like a little kid waiting for Christmas. With each homecoming, I see the places I love and the faces of the people who helped make it one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Every moment has a special place that becomes engrained in every fiber of your being.

Now months after the season has ended, it seemed timed just right to have everyone at the volunteer Christmas party.  Sadly, there were a few familiar faces that couldn't make the trek, but there are few better feelings than to see a room full of people who have a love of something as much as you do. Seeing all their smiling faces made all of the set up work feel like even more of an accomplishment. So now, it is with high spirits and best wishes that I get to go to my home away from home and look towards the next season and the events that will come in the chapter of my life at OSR.

Fans of Shawshank Redemption will be happy to hear about our latest addition here at OSR, the safe from the Warden's Office. Just last week it was reinstalled in the wall for our guests to see.  Those familiar with the film will be able to recognize this prop from the film and be able to see it during their tours.   

Located on the second floor of West Administration, the Shawshank Warden's Office is a popular sight for our visitors. Throughout the building, we have various locations used in popular films that countless people come to see. The safe will be the newest addition to our collection of film memorabilia along the the tour route.

Light can be a funny thing. It can alter what you see when you spend time in the building. Every time things look slightly different than the first time. Little tricks of the light will catch your eye and bring out the tiniest detail that you pass over and over without ever noticing. Things that should seem so obvious don't always catch your eye right away.

During my time here, I have lost track of how many times I have walked through the building, but each time I see something new.  Just the other day I was standing by the staircase to the Central Guard room and the stream of light hit the side of it just perfectly and I noticed a bit of green paint that has been worn off over time.  I see that staircase almost every day and I had never realized that before. In this building, there are some things you just can't fully appreciate until you see it in a certain way, like the way the light comes through a window and casts a glow through a hallway.

There is something awe inspiring about the environment here. Even the land itself has a calming effect. It sounds completely bizarre to imagine that an old prison is in any way a peaceful place, but it's true.  People often think that there is something unsettling about being here. They imagine that this place came right out of a horror film complete with monsters lurking in the shadows, but for those of us who spend so much time here, it is quite the opposite. Even in the dark of the solitary confinement, it kind of starts to feel like a home away from home. This place becomes a part of you and it just doesn't feel right to stay away for too long. Coming here can take you out of time—away from the hustle and bustle of daily life— it can be an escape, if only for a few hours.

There are some places where you can create a soundtrack in your head of what kind of music is “meant” to be played in that space and for me, this has always been one of them. Last week we were working on a room off of the central guard room listening to music as we painted. As much as I enjoy the silence the building can offer, there are some things that you just need music for and this was one of those times. Ever since the first time I came to the Reformatory, I always thought this was a place where the Big Band classics of the 1930’s and 1940’s were meant to be played. It just seems so perfect to hear Duke Ellington and Glenn Miller playing over the speakers; it almost makes you forget where you are for a just a moment, because you can picture what this place looked like in its prime. Within these walls, the imagination can blend with history to explore the past and escape to a world of stories yet to be told, all you have to do is spend some time behind the bars.

A little off the beaten path here in Mansfield, it's always interesting to hear how people found out about us. Some people come in because they are fans of Shawshank or have seen one of the many TV shows that have featured OSR, while others are brought in by the building and its history. The reasons they visit are countless, but they come here all the same and in the end many return time and again, bringing family and friends to our magnificent building. In a way, there is something for everyone here. Mix fascinating history and beautiful architecture with crime and a touch of the paranormal, just to round things out nicely, and we have the unique entity that we call OSR.

The day to day here invites people from all over to explore the building and its history in a different way every time they visit.  Being here is like looking at a piece of art or watching a film, each time you view it, you see something different and appreciate it more than the first time. It is the tiniest of details that stay with you—the beautiful woodwork or the ornate detail of the structure itself—the more time you spend looking at it, the more you see. Everything here has a story to be told, all you have to do is take the time to really look for it.

Today marks my first post as an OSR intern and I have quickly learned that there is never a dull moment here. In my brief time working as an intern, I have seen hundreds of people daily from all over the world.  This week alone, we have had around 150 motorcyclists stop in for a tour as part of their Bike Week event and received visitors from Germany and Japan, which isn't too shabby for our little establishment. Being a local, it is easy to forget how this place can draw you in. There is something magnetic about the building, once you come here, there is always a part of you that wants to come back. Luckily for me, I get to be here almost every day, which means I get an inside look at all the fun and adventure that comes with being a member of the OSR team.  From the daily visitors to the dedicated volunteers, OSR brings people in and takes hold and in my opinion, is one of the best places to be, so I will be reporting in on all the news from behind the bars... 

Laws Dogs at OSR

The Law Dogs arrive at OSR

A total of 180 motorcyclists  pose for a photo before taking a tour of the prison.