- Title Man Experiences 'New World' of Fast Food and Technology After 20 Years in Prison
- Summary Justin Eldred, 38, finished serving 20 years in various prisons for aggravated robbery in March 2022 and barely recognises the Austin, Texas he left as an 18-year-old boy. His younger brother Brett, 32 filmed many of Justin's 'firsts' for Justin to post on TikTok, including a trip to a gas station, playing on a smart phone and going to an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet where he over faced himself with too many noodles. Buc-ee's is the leading gas station and restaurant in Texas and is a daily staple of many Texans' lives. The viral videos commemorating his first experiences have amassed over 10 millions but the fame hasn't gone to Justin's head; he takes pleasure in the small things like going for a run in nature and reuniting with family. Brett said: "Buc-ee's gigantic and beloved among Texans but my big bro had never seen or been inside one. "He was quite overwhelmed seeing they sell clothes and toys." Justin lived a life of hardship on the inside, stripped of choices many people take for granted - like a choice of crisps. He said: "Buc-ee's shocked me, they don't just got one flavour of chips they got 27 types of flavours." When Justin was finally released from the J. Dale Wainwright Unit in Texas in March, he said the best part of being out is the 'level of basic freedom and healing wounds that I created when going in'. Small things that go unnoticed by the general public like new roads and buildings were picked up by Justin: "The second my little bro picked me up I didn't recognize anything." Documenting all his firsts via TikTok has been a virtual diary for the brothers who get to celebrate the special moments Justin experienced. In one video, Justin explores a smart phone for the first time since using his Nokia 3510 relic. He continues: "Seeing that phone was space age, it just felt so powerful. "I've seen them before in prison, rich people have them in there but they can get you extra time if you get caught with them so I never dealt with them." Brett and Justin enjoyed their first meal out together as adults at a local Chinese restaurant in town. Brett was just nine-years-old when his big brother was sentenced, so said 'it sucked' missed out on core memories he wished his brother could have been part of growing up. He said: "I couldn't comprehend what had happened at that young age, I just wanted my best friend and my big bro back. "He first was put into juvenile jail and I used to visit him during that time; from there, when he turned 17 they took him to adult prison with the max security offenders. "I remember the difference when I went to visit him in adult prison scared me." Brett has been waiting dutifully for two decades and is finally able to introduce his best friend to the newly fashionable clothes, music and clubs. Despite Brett feeling like he takes life for granted, knowing how restricted life was for Justin all those years, he appreciates what his brother was granted. Brett said: "He had sports in there and listened to lots of National Geographic documentaries but he hasn't had real food since the 90s, it's kind of crazy. "The hardest part was never knowing if he was going to come home at all with all the stories you hear and all the violence and things. "I just kind of always thought he would die and at some point even came to terms with that." When his brother was released the duo drove straight to the petrol station and bought as many snacks as they could carry, finally getting to share a hug after so many years apart with no physical contact allowed as Brett wasn't a parent or guardian. He continued: "It's beautiful to see a man who has been locked in a cage for 20 years see the differences." ENDS
- Credit cackalackjack via ARK Media
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User IP: 47.222.228.97
Date Posted: 9th May 2022
Categories: Cool, Cute, Heartwarming, Top Picks, Viral