UNITED STATES – SEPTEMBER 11: Police officer Mike Brennan helps a distraught woman known only as Beverly, as ash and debris cover the area following the collapse of 1 World Trade Center (north tower) – the aftermath of a terrorist attack. 2 World Trade Center came came crashing down 39 minutes later. A hijacked American…… Continue reading It’s Still a Lie
“By and large, people are just no damn good.” It might just be my favorite quote by…well, by no one you know, unless you know my father-in-law, Bud. The first time I heard him say it, I was about 21 years old. We were eating dinner at my kitchen table talking about whatever was…… Continue reading And I saw…
Looks can be deceiving. Take Houston PD’s chief of police, Art Acevedo and HPOU president Joe Gamaldi. First, there’s Art. He’s straight-up got the “cop-look”. Swarthy and good-looking. Manly. Reeking with machismo. Squared away and buttoned-up. Gig-line straight. Brass polished. Commanding attention and respect. Articulate. Intelligent. Giving his press conferences in two languages so everyone…… Continue reading Looks Can Be Deceiving
Today is National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. All day long I’ve pondered what to write and one thing kept popping into my mind. For many years, my guy was the president of the local POA. He worked tirelessly during those years to convince the city manager to raise patrol officer pay. After a lengthy battle,…… Continue reading Innocence Lost
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Zackari. When I sat with his wife and held her hand I could see in her eyes that her life was over.” – Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock Sheriff Spurlock was speaking about Gracie Parrish, the wife of Deputy Zackari Parrish who was killed on duty in…… Continue reading Without him…
That one blue ribbon. I saw it as soon as I topped the hill. There were no other mementos. No other ribbons. Just one thin, blue ribbon tied at the end of the monument. And I wondered. I wondered who tied on that ribbon. I honestly don’t know why I wondered who it was, because…… Continue reading Someone
Remember Exhibit A? It’s the post where I admitted how inept I am in emergency situations. I said I suck in emergencies. Like…I REALLY suck at them. In case you weren’t convinced after reading Exhibit A, I present you with Exhibit B. Along with the truth of my emergency ineptness, I must admit I am…… Continue reading Exhibit B
Write the truth. I said I would write the truth when I started this blog. I have done that but sometimes I think what I say makes me sound a wee bit better than I really am. So, tonight, I’ll tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God.…… Continue reading Exhibit A
It’s in Homer’s Odyssey where we first learn about Mentor. When Odysseus, King of Ithaca, leaves to fight the Trojan War, he relegates the care of his household and more importantly, his son Telemachus, to Mentor. Mentor was charged to serve as teacher and overseer of Telemachus while Odysseus was gone. From this Greek mythological…… Continue reading Police Wives Need Good Mentors
William Petty with Centrifuge Training, LLC recently wrote a Facebook post in response to questions he had received about becoming a firearms instructor. As I read the very first piece of advice he gave, I thought…wow! That applies to being a police officer’s wife, girlfriend, mother, etc. Here’s what he said: “Find a mentor. When…… Continue reading Find a Mentor. When You Have a Good One, Take Notes.
All Manner of Things Blue 