Don?t Let it Get to You
I was a young new Officer just barely on the job. Furthermore, I was fresh off a two-year Church mission where I served in upstate New York. I was a little soft from spending those two years teaching nothing but spiritual, holy and good things so it goes without saying, I was a little naïve and green around the gills when it came to seeing crime, wicked and worldly ways let alone crime and bad guys.
I was working on day watch patrolling a rural area of the city. It was after noon and I noticed a suspicious looking car parked in a vacant lot slightly hidden by tall grass so I thought I had better check it out. As I walked closer to the car, I noticed that two people were inside half-naked. They were both all over each other fully engage in sexual intercourse. I will admit I was shocked because I had never seen anything like that before. I knocked on the window and the two surprised people began scrambling for their clothes. Once they found some clothes to put on, the man rolled down the car window and asked with a humiliated tone in his voice, “Is there something wrong Officer”? I stood for a few seconds still stunned, then said, “What’s going on here, its broad daylight and everyone can see you, what if children walk by, what are you both thinking”? I noticed the girl looked very young so I asked her how old she was, “18” she mumbled mortified. I then asked how old the man was, “46” he said. I noticed a wedding ring on the man’s finger and asked, “Is this your wife” pointing to the young woman, the man replied, “No. This is my secretary. We work together”.
I became quite aggravated and began to wonder how a married man could cheat on his wife, who was probably home cleaning, cooking and taking care of small children while this idiot was out having sex with his 18-year-old secretary. At that point, I became as about as stern as a person could get telling the man he should be ashamed of himself and to go home to his wife. I told the girl to have more self respect for herself and to make better choices and that both of them should know better, “clean up, get out of here and don’t come back” I yelled.
The car quickly drove away, and I walked slowly back to my Police car and just sat inside to think about what I had experienced. I began to feel deeply sorry for the immorality in the world and thought about how easily that man could cheat on his wife. I wondered how such a young beautiful girl who seems to have so much to look forward to in her life could have such low self-respect for herself. I could not shake the feelings so I began to pray, “Father in heaven, I’m so sorry there is sin like this in the world, that these two people could offend you like this, disobey your commandments and so easily not care. I am truly upset and feel terrible”. During my prayer, I was overwhelmed with a peaceful feeling, and at that moment, a thought came very clear into my mind that it was like a still small voice who said, “Do not let it get to you”. I all of a sudden did not have any more uneasy feelings and ended my prayer. I started my Police car and drove away.
I will never forget how those words rang very clear in my mind that day as a young Police Officer learning and facing the reality of the job. I had been taught a very important lesson but did not fully understand at the time, how significant those simple words were. How they would give me strength and wisdom throughout my career, guide and help me to treat people fairly and with respect and not to judge them. Those plain straightforward words became the foundation, of how I did my job and dealt with crime, wicked and worldly things throughout my nearly 30 years on the job.
Written by Scott Hallock
Freelance composer. Expert in the fields of Law Enforcement , Health and Fitness and human nature
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