Just recently I found myself in the position of having been accused of being paid to say something nice about someone. Now, I’m no stranger to being insulted. After being a police officer for more than three decades I can honestly say that I’ve been insulted a few times. In fact, I remember a time…
As happens all too often in my household, my son asked me a question that forced me to carefully think through my beliefs and values before offering an answer. I have to think carefully because I know, for sure and certain, he’s already trying to form that next question so if I’m not as specific…
I remember, “back in the day,” hearing a fellow police officer make the observation that the things we see in science fiction movies always seem to come true. He especially meant where law enforcement was concerned. The example he gave was that in the movie RoboCop, the police officers were all driving Ford Taurus sedans…
“God grant me the serenityto accept the things I cannot change;courage to change the things I can;and wisdom to know the difference.” The Serenity Prayer. Whether you are a Christian or not; if you’re Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, whatever, it doesn’t matter. The Serenity Prayer makes sense. This is NOT an entry preaching Christianity or any…
Most of my friends know that I’m an NCIS fan. Before that I was a freak for Walker: Texas Ranger (the original; not the remake). On NCIS, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs is a former Marine (Gunnery Sergeant) Scout Sniper and he just so happens to have a rule for darn near everything. If you’re a fan of the show…
“Every man is born as many men and dies as a single one.” – Martin Heidegger. When I saw this quote come up in my social media feed it stopped me. I had to read it twice and then a third time. I had to think about it… what does it mean. I finally realized that…
Even having read just the title I suspect there are some people who disagree with the statement. “Taking ‘it’ for granted is inevitable.” First, some will question what ‘it’ is. Second, some will argue that there are some things that are never taken for granted. To address the first – ‘it’ can be almost anything…
I’m sure I would be like everyone else and wish for world peace, right? But what if I was going to wish for something realistic; something I would use or carry daily; something I’d have to get as a Christmas gift (from a rich relative) because I either don’t have or wouldn’t spend the money…
Not long ago I was sitting in my favorite local cigar shop when (somehow) the conversation of prostitution came up. The group discussing the topic was a mix of men and women ages mid-thirties through mid-fifties. In general the outlooks toward prostitution ranged from, “I don’t know how anyone can perform sex acts for money,”…
A few days ago (as I type this) I attended a police expo and conference. There were a couple hundred vendors there and I was walking around with a workmate visiting a few. Currently I work on the editorial team and this gentleman works with me as part of our advertising sales team. As with…
As we approach the 20h Anniversary of the terrorist attacks on our country – those committed on September 11, 2001 – we are also seeing our country completely pulled out of Afghanistan; an event that has left the country overrun by the Taliban. The Taliban – those who attacked us in the first place. As…
Let me start out by saying that I have the utmost respect for teachers. And then I’ll qualify that statement further: I have the utmost respect for teachers who care about their students and are doing their best to provide a life-worthy education. In my mind that’s different than providing an education that simply meets…
I have avoided writing anything political for several years now even though my first two books were almost entirely based on political values and governmental beliefs. Recent events, as they relate to society’s reaction to politics and information manipulation, have forced me to lift my personal embargo.
This morning I felt like it might be a good idea to share a couple of quotes. They are quotes that impact (or can) how you relate to others and who those others are. Remembering these wise words can help you avoid associations that are not in your best interest or are, at best, hurtful…
A few years back, I worked for a man who owned several businesses. He was a big guy – well over six feet tall and three hundred pounds; strong and with a life’s history that demonstrated just how determined he was. Due to his size, and a prior criminal history, many people feared him and…
It may seem silly to do this, but with two tropical storms coming into the Gulf of Mexico (as this is typed) and a pandemic still raging around the world, having an emergency kit or bag ready to go isn’t a bad idea. Selecting the right bag and knowing what to put in it are…
As we, the whole nation, celebrate our Independence, but looking back on the past few months of challenges our nation has faced, I felt compelled to comment on something I’ve often disagreed with folks about.
With all that is going on in our nation and has been for the past few weeks, I felt the need to pen this letter. I started to write it to a friend of mine… and then to my family… and then to fellow officers… and in the end decided it was just best to…
This past Sunday evening (as I write this) my wife and I enjoyed an evening at a friend’s house. We sat on the patio with he, his wife and his son, who just happens to be the same age as our youngest son. Difficult topics were being discussed and, at one point, I commented on…
To steal a word that so many politicians are already overusing: We’re living in unprecedented times. As this is written, around the world there are countries taking steps to attempt to limit the spread of what is commonly referred to as the coronavirus or COVID-19. Most of the steps involve limiting people in their travels…