“Your choices matter, you matter,” was the message of motivational speaker Chris Sandy who spoke to students at Parke Heritage High School on Tuesday.
The date of April 11, 2000, was a date that changed Sandy’s life forever. After drinking a few alcoholic beverages at a party, Sandy and his friend were invited to another party down the road. In their hurry to get to the other party, Sandy sped past another car at 77 mph. In the next moments his choice became one he would live with for the rest of his life. He hit another car in which the passenger died at the scene. Later, the driver of the car died as well.
A year later, he was sent to prison for driving under the influence and killing two people. He spent 3,117 days or 8 1/2 years in prison.
“I hated every moment I spent in prison,” Sandy said. “But the toughest part is dealing with the choice that I made that caused two people to die. I hate what I did. I got caught up in the moment and caused two deaths.I would never want anyone to live with the guilt that I have.”
Sandy travels around the country talking to schools and emphasizing to them “Choices Matter, You Matter,” and how students need to learn for their experiences. He said that your choices are bigger than yourself, they affect others that are around you. While he was in prison, all four of his grandparents died. Following a visit to him in prison, Sandy’s dad suffered a massive heart attack and died on his way home.
“I felt like I had let him down,” he said.
Following his time in prison, Sandy decided to turn his experience into one in which he could bring awareness to teens to make good choices.
“Don’t let happy hour turn into a 30-year sentence,” he said. “My sentence isn’t over. I am serving probation and if I mess up, I will go back to jail.”
As a part of his sentence, Sandy goes back to the crash site to put flowers on the crosses of the two people that he killed. This helps him to remember the choice that he made.
Even though he lives with the choices he made on a daily basis, he tries to focus on the things that make him happy. His family, including his children, help him to do the best he can for the people in his life.
He reminded the students to be grateful for the family that they have and to reflect on the friendships that they have.
“Keep these people in mind as you think about your choices. Always remember, you matter and your choices matter.”
Sandy is the author of the book, “Enduring Regret: Two Different Stories of Drunk Driving, Two Very Different Prisons.” His program, “Choices Matter,” is sponsored by the Criminal Justice Institute.
