Forty plus years of law enforcement gave me a front row seat to the highs and lows of the human drama we all call life, or in some cases “good television”.
All dramas contain conflict when you think about it. We all want to avoid conflict and take the path of least resistance, but as a cop – your job is to drive around and respond to conflicts. That’s what I signed-up for – I was not drafted!
When I stated that I had a “front row seat” I am not saying that I was just a casual observer or a reluctant witness. Albeit, I did have to “OODA loop” (observe, orient, decide and then act) on the evidence and facts in a timely manner. (Google Air Force Colonel John Boyd for background info on OODA Loop)
After a while on the streets, I started to see up close and personal the “leitmotif” behind these human conflict dramas. People (suspects in this case) all do things for a reason (motive) be it greed (robbery, burglary, stealing); lust (sex crimes); anger, power, control, pride, revenge (physical assaults, homicide); dependency (drug or alcohol addictions).
Note: Motive is not an element of a crime but it sure helped to point this Gumshoe in the right direction.
The dystopia on the streets and in the broken homes I frequented via 911 was just too real and overwhelming at times for me to completely understand or even for me to rationalize except to chalk it up to man’s fallen human nature. Evil does exist and the Devil is real.
It was somewhat of a life puzzlement (a quote from Yul Brynner from The King and I) for yours truly to actually see people put themselves in such horrendous situations with even more horrific outcomes. What were they thinking?
I guess I can call upon the quote from Mr. John Greenleaf Whittier, “Of all the sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: “it might have been!” Regret truly is the cancer of life when some of us create our own personal hell on earth.
Adam and Eve should be ashamed of themselves for all of us getting kicked out of Eden.
Till next time dear folks, love the ones who love you and even the ones you don’t.
This is true is so many aspects especially “Regret truly is the cancer of life when some of us create our own personal hell on earth.” With your permission I am posting it on my FB page.
Permission granted Nightingale. The truth can never be contained.