Getting Hit Hard – And Not Staying Down
“It’s not how hard you can hit. It’s how hard you can get hit and still keep moving forward.” Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa in, well, Rocky Balboa.

“It’s not how hard you can hit. It’s how hard you can get hit and still keep moving forward.” Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa in, well, Rocky Balboa.
Throughout the course of my law enforcement career it has constantly caught my attention how many of my fellow officers – most especially the ones that seem to perform on the street in ways that demand respect – have played contact sports. Given that most of my contemporaries are 45 years of age or older,…
Most recently I had a conversation with a gentleman who is a Marine, a veteran police psychologist and an avid supporter of self-defense. The conversation started because I had been asking questions about families and the environment set dependent on whether the family itself – that being the mother and father (or other primary care-givers)…
Not long ago I was on a long drive and as the miles passed, I began to ponder fear, our human reactions to it, how different those reactions can be even between people of similar backgrounds, etc. My thoughts came to focus on Various reactions to fear anyone can experience, and Motivations for some of…
Criticism:1. the act of passing judgment as to the merits of anything.2. the act of passing severe judgment; censure; faultfinding.3. the act or art of analyzing and evaluating or judging the quality of work Critique:1. A critical review or commentary, especially one dealing with works of art or literature.2. A critical discussion of a specified…
No, this article is not about National Guardsmen (or women). It’s not about any state or county run organization that empowers citizens to act as a group during any crisis. This article is about Joseph Average Citizen – otherwise known as Joe Citizen – and what power Joe Citizen has against both crime and terrorism…
MAN: an adult male person, as distinguished from a boy or a woman. A male having qualities considered typical of men or appropriately masculine. A male human endowed with qualities, such as strength, considered characteristic of manhood.
I was involved recently in a conversation with a gentlemen who was trying to discover my motivations for being a police officer. He too is a police officer but we have different circumstances and situations in our lives: he is the (almost) stereotypical bachelor cop who is divorced, whose children are grown, and whose life…
I was reading a book today about the symbols and meanings of them within Free Masonry and it occurred to me that the book’s author believed on thing beyond a doubt: that all human beings crave a moral existence.
This was first written in (roughly) 2008. Keep that in mind as you read it. I recently had two unique experiences that made me ask myself if every rule applies in every situation. Obviously, as with most absolutes, the answer is NO. Which means it’s not an absolute. That alone sparks an interesting debate which…
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…
When you’re a child, everything you have to remember is about how to get through the day. Parents get you up and tell you what to wear. You know you have to brush your teeth, go to school, when to be home and all the rest. If you forget something, it’s far from the end…
I just enjoyed spending a weekend at my in-laws with my wife this past weekend (as this is written). We enjoyed relaxing, shopping and helping them with a few things around the house. As usual, throughout my days, I was looking for inspiration; something that would make me think and anything that could be used…
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…