It was good that we did because the mayor and city council and past mayors and other politicians were all there pandering for union support and a lot of my buddies and people that I knew were there also. When it was time for people to get their little retirement statue they were suppose to say a little something. Every one was getting up and thanking the mayor and the city council and the union, and the chiefs, and etc. etc. for their years on the department.
I got up and I said that I wanted to thank my wife for putting up with me for all of those years. And then I started telling the story of one of the old men we responded to who had collapsed in front of a local gas station. I told the people at the gas station that I would be back the next day for his car that he was living in so that it wouldn't be towed. I noticed on his ID that it was his birthday the next day, so my wife and I took him a cake in the hospital. The people at the hospital wanted our phone number.
He was kind of a mess so the hospital kept him for a few days. When it was time for him to go “home” they couldn't find any relatives so they called us and we went and got him and took him out to dinner and were going to take him back to his car. But at dinner we realized that he had some serious cognitive issues and was going to end up back in the same situation very quickly. So we took him home instead and tried to use our connections to get him placed in an old soldiers home where we knew the director.
And this story went on and on. And the ridiculous extent that we went to take care of this guy and fix his messed up car just had everyone laughing uncontrollably. They were pounding on the tables and rolling on the floor, because every time we thought we had everything worked out, something else would happen. My wife took care of him for weeks and he wanted to stay with us instead of going to the old soldiers home. And this wasn't the only time that she stepped up to the plate and took care of people that I met at work. So to hell with thanking the city council, the mayor, the chiefs and the union. I thanked my wife who has the biggest heart of anyone that I know and has changed me so much over the years.
All my friends knew that my story was completely accurate, that's why they thought it was so funny. But for months when we were doing events, politicians would come up to my wife or I and ask if the story was true. It and so many other situations were so ridiculous that they sound like a comedy routine... As do so many other interactions with people like Cecil Leadinghorse and his buddies. When reality is crazier than fantasy you just can't make this stuff up.
I thank you for your perspective, as someone who has been down on their luck, or outgrew being an irresponsible a-hole. There is nothing like real life experience to change your perspective. I agree with you that police officers should not treat people the way that we saw in this video. Actually, behavior along these lines typically has less to do with frustration and is more of a power thing that goes to the heads of some people. I was threatened with arrest for interfering with the police on some occasions when I was critical of the way that they were handling certain situations.
For the most part we get along very well, and the police often would hang out at fire stations during the day. But there is often friction between the police and firefighters because our missions are very different. The police are there largely to establish and maintain order and control not to help people. Firefighters are there to help people or save property. I don't think it is a secret that they are often feared and we are often loved by the public. Maybe you are from a small town or rural location where there is some cross over in roles. Was your dad kind of like Andy Taylor and you were like Opie? I have a great uncle who is a retired police officer and he is and always has been an extraordinary person, but he worked in a suburb outside of Detroit and he would be the first to tell you that things were a lot different there than in Detroit.
I understand what you are getting at here. But in my years I have and still experience both worlds, rural and city. Yes Dad was like Andy Taylor, he was an elected constable and the only law enforcement in a rural community but his duties were not limited to rural. This rural community was along side the main east to west transportation artery in America I-40. So he was exposed to everything society could throw at an officer with his interactions when assisting state patrol officers. And quite often he was required to go cover someone on vacation Etc. in the nearest big city. So he was experienced with both worlds.
My Uncle was a state highway patrol officer who covered these same areas both rural and city along this major freeway. When he retired from the state he became marshal and did his time again and retired from that also. His duty as a marshal was all in the big city.
As for my own experience, when I hit hard times and was homeless it was in metro LA and then for awhile in Las Vegas. I have since lived in other major cities so I understand the metro culture well. I have several very good lifelong friends who are currently officers in Baltimore, Phoenix, and L.A. One of my other son in laws is currently a Maricopa County SO in Phoenix. So even though I am back in the rural demographics I still have my experiences and I am always up to speed on current events and metropolitan society and what public servants have to deal with there.
Now let me share something very important about your wife and yourself. Grandma and I, because of our very rural business location, We have also helped out so many people who were stuck and having hard times with compassion. We can’t even count how many thousands of labor hours and thousands of dollars we shared to help people get rolling again. We fed so many down and out folks and their children from out of our home/shop that my friends joked that we should put up a cross on the shop and call it a church. It did finally drive me to become a minister. :)
So I can tell you with confidence that all the compassion and patience you and your wife have shared throughout your life despite the scrutiny you had aimed at you will indeed come back to you a hundred fold Sir. Never once were you ever wrong for not “going with the flow”. It is a now a rare and righteous virtue I personally hold very highly. Thank you... :)