New beginnings?

Well, I've been a little busy for the past few weeks and haven't written anything for a bit.  Looking at the stats of this page, I see that I have had a few hits lately, I think its pretty cool. If you are a reader, share this link.  

The work thing has been pretty cool lately. As I said before, I wound up going to a different shift in the same district I work.  I used to work with the Lieutenant as a LT and as a Sgt before. He is a good guy.   

Well it came time for Ole' Shamus to start taking his days off without pay, and I have done a few.  It is a weird feeling to be sitting home and knowing that you ain't getting paid, and this just ain't a vacation day. It takes the fun out of it.  I have been taking thinks in stride, though. I'll get through these days by November, then hopefully this will just be a lesson learned, and not an ordeal to go through. 

Well this blog started as a mid 30's dude watching his career fizzle out and fade away, trying to pick up the pieces and move on.  Well, I am still a mid 30's dude watching his dream career fizzle to an end, and I am picking up the pieces. Now, by "fizzle out" the original meaning was meant to mean immediate. Now I find myself after watching my job almost escape me looking at the reality that none of us want to accept when we pin on that badge.  This job ain't gonna last forever.  I have 6 years to go until I am eligible for retirement.  I still have no real plan on what is in store for ole' Shamus.   That was something that hit hard while I was in trouble and treadin' water. 

In the last few weeks a good friend of mine was recently retired on disability. He is my age, and was on the department for 15 years.  A fight with a drunk a few years ago started his battle with injury. He fought his way back, then a different fight with a turd on PCP he blew out the same knee after turd mule kicked his same knee and tore it to hell.  This buddy of mine is now done. D O N E.  15 years of crushing crime over. I feel bad for him because he was the job. He was truly a good cop. A true friend, and an all around good guy.  He made his mistakes in the past, learned from them, and moved on. He is what we needed out there.  I wish him luck in his new start on life, and what ever he chooses to do in the future. 

Now, this had me doin' some lookin' around. Did y'all know that the age range for career changes is usually in the early to mid 40's?  That is the age that I will be when I hit my 20 mark. So, I will take that and start getting ready for the future.

So, how many of y'all out there are in their 30's and 40's have switched careers, and what did/are you doing now?  Leave a comment below, tell us your story....

Blog Future and layout.

When I first started this blog, I thought I was leaving Law Enforcement, or at the very least, the Department that I work for.  As you can see, that didn't happen.  I got lucky.

I found that writing for an unknown audience is therapeutic in it's own way, so I am going to keep it up.

However, this time, I am revamping the intent of this blog into how my life has changed.  Instead of picking up the pieces and moving on in a different direction, I will be picking up the pieces, and rebuilding my career.

I will continue to tell "War Stories" in the story tab, and will write updates about what is going on in the posts section.  I have added a new page.  It deals with police suicide.  I encourage y'all to read it and share the link I provided for the National P.O.L.I.C.E. Suicide Foundation with your co-workers.

Take care, and be safe.

Feel free to leave comments or messages down below, I would like to hear from you guys and gals.  I saw in the traffic activity that I had people from Russia reading this blog of mine, and it blew my mind!

Look who's back!

Don't call it a comeback, I've been here for years. 

Wow! What a week. Last week, I got a call from the lawyer with the news of my case. The lieutenant in charge of Internal Affairs had sent a final offer, as was decided by the new Chief.

Now, I'm not going to go into details, but basically, I get to keep my job. I had to meet with the IA Lt in the afternoon later that day. He presented the same deal that my lawyer was able to work out, and we spoke about what I did, and how he and the Chief felt that my career was worth salvaging. I have to give them credit and respect. The way they spoke to me was respectful, and put it in a way that I could take ownership of the situation. I was able to see this as an opportunity to move on and improve, not an ass chewing that leaves you feeling like a scalded dog.  

And like that, the next morning, I was reinstated!

I spent the next day driving around the county collecting my weapon and certification card from the academy, my badge and ID card from the quartermaster, my radio from the radio room, my car, computer, and ticket printer from the district. 

I ended up in the same district, but a different Platoon I was on. I also did not get "my" car back, but at least I got a decent car. 

My first day back was yesterday. I really had a sense of pride as I got dressed in my uniform and went off to work. You really don't appreciate what you have until it is stripped from you. The last 10 weeks while I was suspended, I was on a roller coaster of emotions. Now, I get my powers back, and for the first time in a long time, I understand the level of responsibility and sense of duty I have. Before, it was a job.  Just a J O B. I forgot why we do the work. I lost sense of the importance of our line of work. 

Well, it took quite a knock in the pants to get Shamus to re-evaluate what he was doing wrong. One of the most important lessons is to not cut corners to try to clear calls out quickly, and to do the job right the first time. 

Cutting corners almost cost me my career, my pension, and most importantly, my dignity and calling. 

DO the job, folks. Do it RIGHT. It may get pulled out from under you if you don't. Or worse, it could get someone hurt. 

So, keep them belts on, we are going to finish this ride together. Still picking those pieces up, and I'm trying to move on. Why not join me? We'll try and have a good time at it. Don't forget to check the story tab up top. That's where the tall tales, and yarns are hiding. With every new post, I'm going to try to add a new story. 

Until next time......

Is that a light at the end of the tunnel?

Well, in the world of Law Enforcement, things are always changing. In the time since I wrote the last post and now, which in real time had been about three weeks, the department I work for has had a regime change. The Chief had retired, and a new Chief came in. With that came a change in personnel. This was a good thing for me, because now it looks like I get to keep my job. The new administration appears to be a little more forgiving than the old for what I did wrong.

Well, this is a really strange feeling. I was prepared to leave. I was starting to heal the wounds and get used to the idea that I wasn't going to be a police anymore. Now, after I pay my penance, I will get my gun and shield back.

This whole experience has played heavy on my mind. I have learned a great deal about myself and those around me. I see some people for who they are, and I see what is important to me.

Early on I prayed and agreed to let God take complete control of the situation. I tried to give Him complete control and not to stress. That was the hardest part, the not stressing. I was a beast to live with. I have to give a lot of credit to Mrs. Shackleford, for not kickin' my keister to the curb.

Things aren't all done or set in stone yet, and the deal ain't done, but an end is near. I still have a way to go until my ordeal is over, and I will keep the blog going. 

Check back and visit ole' Shamus, we still have a while to go, and stories to tell.