Well, one of the things that we started talking about in
this class was how the vast majority of us had very similar personality traits and
experiences. Police officers tend to follow a very typical profile, we are
fixers we are helpers and we take control of life and challenges. If you’re
married, your spouse has probably vented to you about something and you then
went headlong into fixing their dilemma only to hear, "I didn't need help,
I just wanted to vent." Hey, we can't help who we are. How about the
decompression when we get home? I know you've been there, you work your shift,
call after call, pulling decisions out of your butts and making calls by the
seat of your pants, only to get home and get this question, "What do you
want for dinner? " Ahhhhh! I don't want to make another decision, I want
to sit here and just unwind for a minute!
(I have a commute to get home, those of you who have commutes
know how good that decompression time is.) Or you get the 30 minute
dissertation about the latest drama in the neighborhood in all its
glory...meanwhile you're running over in your mind the dead kid you had to pull
out of the burned car that was driven by the drunk asshole...which leads to you
saying, "No, I don't really want to talk about my day." You know the conversation,
we've all been there.
We also discussed the being in charge trait in this class.
You know we have this, it is a job requirement, you must take control of a scene
when you get there. You are the one to take charge, calm everyone down and
start fixing things. Being in control is sometimes a double edged sword in our
world. I had a lieutenant once who reported into our office right when we
switched from the classic leather Sam Browne duty belt with its brass buckle to
a newer, lighter synthetic belt. Now, if you know cops, you understand how this
minor change in equipment apparently was a harbinger of the end of the world.
Change belts, are you crazy?! Our new lieutenant dutifully did his job and made
sure the troops complied with policy, constantly reminding, guiding and moving
the troops toward compliance with this new change. For this he became known as
"Lieutenant Belt Buckle" and he was constantly lampooned by the
troops. The point was though, it wasn't about the belt buckle, it was about
having control taken away, and we, the troops, don't like that.
So here lies the heart of the matter, you can't sweat the
small things. My office has a patrol car that is old and beat, but it isn't
quite at the miles needed to run it out. Last month I started assigning it
to be driven every shift. You would have
thought I declared myself dictator of the world and directed that we fight
crime with rainbows and hugs. It's a patrol car! We have plenty of legitimate,
drive you nuts, overbearing stress issues everyday at work, let's not
exacerbate it by focusing on the little things. Don't get so wrapped around the
axle by the little, inconsequential things that you choke yourself out and
swallow your own tongue. Let it go, worry about the big stuff, like going home
safe at the end of your shift. The older, slower patrol car isn't going to effect
that, neither is the belt that doesn't look as good as the traditional one.
This career isn't a sprint, it's a marathon, make it to the end. That isn't
good enough though, we all work hard and have plans for our retirements. Don't
get so worked up about the little things that you give yourself some serious
medical problems and you make it so you're not able to enjoy that retirement.
We have plenty of bad stuff (both physical and psychological) thrown on us as a
price of doing business. Don't make it worse by stressing about the little
things that don't matter and that we can't control. Take a deep breath, step
back and look at the whole picture, let the small things go and get to retirement.
You put a lot of your own hard earned money into that retirement account, make
sure you live long enough to enjoy your reward. Breathe, don't loose the forest
for the trees, you body will thank you, your mind will thank you and your home
and family will be much happier. This career we've chosen is one wild ride,
sometimes you just have to sit back and go with it.
So, when you hit the beat tomorrow, take a breath, let go of
the little things you can't influence, worry about what is truly important, keep
your eye on the goal of completing that shift safely and in one piece. As
always, I encourage you to leave comments and discuss this, a conversation is
always the best way to come to a better understanding of what concerns us.
(I'll say thanks here to a friend of mine who has been kicking my ass and
pushing me to get another post up, I will do my best to blog more frequently in
the future.)
Stay safe out there.
Original content by Michael McCarthy, posted to his Blog: The Highway Ranger.
