Bad Day

[tango29]

I know I've posted shit that makes me seem like a whiner, but today is different.

I live in a small town, so everyone knows everyone. So when I came across a bad crash today with half a dozen squad cars and many ambulances and fire trucks, it got my attention. I asked an officer who I knew if everyone was ok. He said yes. He lied. I saw a young person being put into a body bag.

I guess I'm asking how a person ever gets over this. I don't think I ever will.

Sorry to read this, in my 2 cents opinion, nothing really helps one get over something like this, or death of someone close to you. The best I have found is keeping them in your thoughts and family in your prayers if you pray. I look for the good memories and relive those in my mind. It can be depressing, but also positive to reflect on the good things in the past.
Vanzandt, kind of interesting you posted this now. Our youngest is looking to go into law enforcement, hoping to eventually go F.B.I or another Fed level job. I was at gas station last week and a State Trooper was there and I asked if I could bug him with a couple questions, he said go ahead. I asked about the job as our kid was looking to go into law enforcement. His response to his job was about how it can be really rough with the number of horrible accident scenes he has been to, and that these days unless you are in a really suburban department that you will be dealing with some horrific stuff also, and all too often it involves kids. He said he likes the job, but has times he really wonders about his choice of careers. He mentioned he has great support from his wife and spends time helping out at church to keep his head together. He also brought up the number of officers that have taken their own lives from the stress of the job.

 

[vanzandt]

Vanzandt, kind of interesting you posted this now. Our youngest is looking to go into law enforcement, hoping to eventually go F.B.I or another Fed level job. I was at gas station last week and a State Trooper was there and I asked if I could bug him with a couple questions, he said go ahead. I asked about the job as our kid was looking to go into law enforcement. His response to his job was about how it can be really rough with the number of horrible accident scenes he has been to, and that these days unless you are in a really suburban department that you will be dealing with some horrific stuff also, and all too often it involves kids. He said he likes the job, but has times he really wonders about his choice of careers. He mentioned he has great support from his wife and spends time helping out at church to keep his head together. He also brought up the number of officers that have taken their own lives from the stress of the job.

Great post.
I thought about my response to Badger today... I could have thrown in "at least all you saw was a body bag".... and I'll add that now.

Not to belittle his hurt in any way, but just to once again put things in perspective.

I don't know how those guys can do it... because as you said, oftentimes it's kids.

All one has to do, is go to a junkyard sometime, to pick up a used part or something... and look at some of the cars. It doesn't take much imagination to bring tears to one's eyes.

The worst are the small cars you know a young girl was driving, by the color etc. A mangled heap of destroyed metal that no one could have walked away from. The engine sitting where the driver's seat once was. Wanna cry... go see that.

And might I suggest, that anyone who's eyes ever land on this thread in the years to come that have kids getting ready to drive... do that. Visit a junkyard with them. Let them see what not paying attention can do.

 

[TheDawn]

I had a friend who retired from the State Highway Patrol after (whatever it was) like 25 years.

I used to jog with him, he trusted me I guess, to share his thoughts. He told me more than once he couldn't sleep at night, he'd have nightmares about some of the things he had seen over his career. I never pressed the matter, I never asked him for details, I always tried to be upbeat and say positive things, change the subject and make him laugh about something; but I knew he had seen it all. I mean these guys are the first on the scene usually. I can't imagine the horrors he'd seen.

He bought a Harley shortly after he retired, and to this day no one knows what really happened, but he basically rode it straight into the concrete center support of an overpass at very high speed. No alcohol or drugs whatsoever in his system.

I never shared with anyone the things he'd say to me... but his pain must have been even more than he let on. This is of course no conciliation to you right now, but just be thankful you're not one of those that have to see it every day. And if you ever see one of those guys or girls that most of the time we consider "dicks" because they are law-nazi's and never cut anyone a break... pay for whatever it is they are ordering, and say thanks.

g/l and sorry you had to see that. It would bother me too.

Of course everybody is different but for me personally I always feel better when I get to talk about something that is bothering me, you know to get it off my chest. Writing about it helps but I find actually talking about it to a live person is more effective. I agree I am sure he's encountered and seen some really horrific and gruesome things that we cannot possibly imagine so that's why I thought maybe if he could talk about it and really describe it in detail, to some professional psychologists or psychotherapists to help him unload what he had on his mind instead of keeping it bottled up inside eating him alive sorta speak or maybe he was already seeing one and it wasn't helping? Anyway, he's at a place where there is no pain now.

So sorry you lost a friend and yes I do have a lot of respect for the police. Once in a while you will get a dick that is just unreasonable but most of them are ok and some are even nice. They put their lives on the line for us and stand guard for us so we can sleep at night. That is more than what most of us are able to do. They are some very special people.