I don’t particularly like the acronym DOS, but nevertheless that is the vernacular used in the world of law enforcement to describe someone who is deceased in a location other than the hospital. (Dead on Scene) When I am called to assist on a DOS call, I generally use the phrase “unattended death” when I communicate with a family member or friend of the deceased person.One night this week I was called to assist the officers on a DOS call….
“Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.” -Arnold Bennett I hate to admit it, but I don’t like change. I like some semblance of consistency. That principle is not true of every dimension of my life. I enjoy hearing new music. I must admit that classic rock is still the best. I like going to new places to eat. I always return to my favorite mom and pop establishments where everybody knows…
When I was growing up, I recall my mother reflecting on where she was and what she was doing when she heard the news that President Kennedy had been shot in Dallas on November 22nd, 1963. My older sisters were in school. I was told that I was in my playpen in the living room at home. I was 18 months old. My generation has another date etched in our minds. September 11th, 2001. I do recall where I was…
She is cannot stand conflict. In fact, we call her the “peacemaker” in our family. How many of us have conflict avoiders in our family? How often do we refer to them as the peacemakers? I have members in my extended family that would travel from New York to San Diego via London if they thought it would help them to avert conflict. But are they really peacemakers? I am preaching on the topic of peacemaking Sunday. In my research…
George and Louise Jefferson along with their son Lionel moved in across the street from my family on 81st in Lubbock when I was in high school. Do you remember George and Louise? They were introduced to us on national television, when they moved in next door to the ultimate bigot, Archie Bunker. Actor Carroll O’Connor was masterful in his portrayal of Archie. It was just poetic justice that Archie have someone of a different race living right next door!…
In Memory of Wichita County fallen officers…Now where would you expect to find a phrase like that? It seems to fit on a memorial carved out a marble in front of a law enforcement agency. In this case, it is inscribed on the back of a fully restored 1968 Ford Custom that looks exactly like a patrol car used by the Wichita Falls Police Dept in the late ‘60’s. The owners of the replica patrol car found the vehicle on…
Not many days go by that I don’t observe the consequences of throw away relationships. In working with police officers every week, I frequently observe juveniles who are attempting to navigate the turbulent years of adolescence without the helpful guidance of stable parents. It is not uncommon to see divorced parents acting worse than a couple of unsupervised 5 year olds. The police end up serving as referees in an ugly game that appears to have no end in…
My childhood friend Bob Schowalter and I spent countless hours at Shoop Park in Racine, Wisconsin playing golf during our late elementary and junior high school years. The first three holes of the course are adjacent to the beach of Lake Michigan. No telling how many of my errant golf balls have since deteriorated at the bottom of that Great Lake. Bob and I were decent golfers for our age bracket, but I seriously doubt that it occurred to us…
Don’t give up now. I am speaking directly to my mid-life peers in particular. Don’t give up now. I don’t like to admit it, but I am rapidly approaching the five “0” mark. In many ways, I still feel like I am 18. Jan would tell you that I still act like I am 18. But that is another story for another day. Last July I had the remarkable honor of reuniting with old friends from Monterey High School in…
How often do we reduce people to a label? She is an alcoholic. He is a drug addict. He is homeless. She is a special needs child. She lives in the _______neighborhood. The list of labels seems to have no end. Those are actually some of the “softer” labels that we use to describe people. There are others that are purposely demeaning. When I was growing up, immigrants from Mexico were called “wetbacks.” Kids with certain kinds of special needs…