Been a long hard road....

Well, it's been a while since I've logged in on here, but things have been going pretty good for good ole' Shamus. 

Work is back to being its normal stressful pace but, the typical cop stress, not the running around with a target on your back stress.  

I had been feeling frustrated and paranoid for a few weeks, so I went in to talk to my LT today about some things that are going on.  Long story short, I'm all good. Seems that some of the things I was worried about were just simple misunderstandings. 

So, while I was in there, we had a little chat about my future. I had some reservations about taking the sergeant test this year. LT told me to,go for it. He convinced me that I would be a good Sgt., and that he thinks that I will probably get a fair shake, now that the department is in a rebuilding phase after healing from internal corruption.  So, here we go.  I ordered the books, and will start studying for my third stripe.

In the mean time, I have been thinking about life after the department. I have five years left before I am eligible for retirement.  I have a couple ideas of what I would like to do, one requires a shit-ton of school.  Now, the problem is, my kid will be starting college about the same time I would be getting ready to retire. So add that to the future planning.  

So, here we are, less than a year from almost losing my job and I am getting ready to start studying for the Sergeant test, planning for my life post police after retirement, and learning that I can take a breath and relax a little and maybe not look over my shoulder as much. 

Interesting turn of events this last year has made.

Buckle up.  Here we go!

Watching paint dry

Well I have these days I gotta serve as unpaid leave from the incident that almost ended my career. I have quite a few of them, but my LT is a rock star and hooked me up with some good timing. That makes them not so bad. 

Anyway, ole' Shamus can't really sit still the whole time, so I have some chores around to do while I'm off. Last week I had the bright idea to paint my kitchen ceiling. Now I know this has absolutely NOTHING to do with being a cop who is picking up the pieces and moving on, but bear with me a minute. I went on down to the hardware store and was cruisin' up the paint isle when I saw it. They have a ceiling paint that goes on pink and dries bright white. Now, that just blew my mind!  So, ole' Shamus plunks down the cash and buys some. Fast forward two hours, and there I am. Standing in the kitchen, staring up at this pink ceiling, watching it turn bright white. I was impressed, and felt like a total idiot at the same time. What will they think of next?  I will probably buy it, whatever it is....

Well this week, I am doing some work at Mrs. Shakleford's mom-mom's house. I get to do some plumbing, and light carpentry. 

I like that kinda work. I like looking back and seeing something tangible from my hard work. Something I can see, touch, feel, use. 

That's the problem with being a Police. We go out and bust our humps for 9, 10 hour days, at the end we really can't see what we've done. Sometimes we have a case file, or a stack of tickets. But especially now, that everything is going paperless, you really can't see your work. 

Our job is different. We are still held by quotas. {I know, I know, "quotas" are illegal and we aren't supposed to use that word, but a duck is a duck. } But instead of a product, we are "graded" on car stops and lock ups....but mostly car stops.  We respond to folks homes on the worst day they've ever had. To us, it's just another day, to them, it's the end of their world. We show up, we slap a band aid on festering cancer. It is all we can do. We keep peace, enforce laws, protect lives. 

Someone asked me once if Police-work was rewarding. I answered that question lime this, Police-work in itself is not rewarding. It is ball-breaking, and hard work for little pay, and a strained home life. It is, however, fulfilling. At the end of the day, you can look at yourself in the mirror and know that you're doing the best you can and doing the work. You are a Police. A sheepdog,the protector. 

When you're on the job, you never truly know the extent of the impact you make on someone. Most people don't think to say "thanks", or send a note, so we never know how the situation ends after we step off the porch. 

It's about closure. As a Police, you never get it. That is one thing that takes a bit to get used to. But trust me....it IS worth it. 

If there are any Police out there reading this, what type of "regular" type work or hobby do you have to help you stay grounded?

For anyone else who aren't on the job, please pass this link around, tell your friends, and drop me a note, or ask a question down there in the comments.  Let me know how you like these stories. 

'Til next time....stay safe. 

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!