You can, however, nearly always engage in dialogue if you
want to. There are typically opportunities for conversation with
family and friends: at meals, family gatherings, special events, home
visits. You can ask your probation officer, a social worker, or a
favorite schoolteacher, friend, or relative to talk quietly and
confidentially. If you do not have a relationship with a person you
would like to connect with—like an absentee father—you can
swallow your pride and give that person a call. The response may be
surprising. You can arrange to visit with a stranger whom you have
hurt or who has hurt you.