November 1, 2026
This one goes out to my main man, G Hicks.
Showing Me the Ropes
He showed me the ropes in Jefferson County Jail. We all need somebody to show us the ropes. Nobody walks into a new place knowing how it works. You can read every rule posted on the wall and still not understand how the place really runs.
The rules and regulations are there for a reason. I respect that. But rules alone don’t get you through. You need a person. You need somebody who has been there, who knows the way, and who cares enough to walk you through it. G was that person for me. He sure did show me the ropes, and he’s still showing me the ropes today.
How Things Get Done
G showed me how to get things done. He knew how to work the proper channels. He knew how to take the right things to the right people. He understood how the system worked, and instead of keeping that to himself, he shared it with me.
He told me how to get a new towel. He told me how to get new clothes. Little things, maybe, unless you’re the one who needs them.
He used to always get the phone, save my place in line, and hand me the phone after him. That phone was a lifeline, and he made sure I got my turn.
We would always eat together. We would exercise together in the mornings. Day after day, he was there.
That’s a gift. A lot of people know things. Not as many people take the time to teach them. G took the time.
A Strong Christian Man
G is a strong Christian man. The woman he loved was struggling with a brain tumor. He was carrying that weight, and he still had room to help me carry mine.
He gave me an idea of what real problems look like. Being around him put things in perspective. And through all of it, he gave me courage. He gave me hope.
He’s a tough cookie with a soft heart. He’s a smart man with a gentle spirit. You don’t find that combination every day. Tough enough to stand up in a hard place, soft enough to care about the man next to him. Smart enough to know how things work, gentle enough to teach it with patience.
Through a Christian Lens
Scripture says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” That’s what G did for me. God puts people in our path at just the right time, even in the places we never wanted to be. Sometimes the place you’d least expect to find a friend is exactly where God sends one.
Jesus said the greatest among us will be the servant of all. G lived that. He served by showing the way, by sharing what he knew, and by speaking the Word over me when I needed it.
Friends for Life
I think we’re going to work together. But whether we do or not, he’ll always be my friend.
G, I am eternally grateful. I hope I can make it up to you today, and every day after.
He always had a Bible verse that got me going. He always reminded me that God has plans for me to succeed:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11
