What grinds your gears?

Dying 2 to 8 years after I retire will really grind mind gears!

That's a scary statistic. Thanks for the light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Excellent observation. In my line of work (law enforcement), it definitely seems that many officers have their egos and identity intrinsically tied to the badge and the authority, recoginition and prestige that comes with it: IMO that's not very emotionally or mentally healthy if the officer can't separate himself from it. When retirement comes, some officers have a great deal of difficulty accepting the fact that they are now just ordinary Joes walking the street.

It has also been said that to be emotionally and mentally healthy, officers should have strong social connections outside of law enforcement and the underlying premise behind this rationale is for the officer to be able to separate himself from the badge (so that the badge doesn't become an emotional crutch). I've seen old officers forced into retirement -- and then they simply couldn't handle the loss of the badge because, unfortunately, it meant the loss of their identity (the loss of identity `in their own mind -- not in reality).

What am I doing to prepare for retirement??? I'm trying to obtain a regionally accredited doctorate with a specialization in Criminal Justice, which will hopefully open up doors for online teaching in my profession. I have plenty of law enforcement credentials and experience, but without a formal academic degree, they don't mean didley squat in the academic world of online teaching. Now if an applicant has BOTH qualifications (a doctorate AND law enforcement training, certifications and experience), then online institutions will practically roll out the red carpet. Once the job is had, then the applicant must obviously live up to the school's expectations, of course. It will probably provide a source of respectable income and it will be "a job." I'm a firm believer that we are designed to work and everyone should have "a job" and, as such, I plan on working to the very end of my life, if possible.

I'm extremely grateful for a cop-job and it's served me extremely well, but when it comes time to pull the plug, I'll still have an occupation in adjunct teaching. I won't be a "retired cop;" instead, I'll be an adjunct professor. Everybody has to be something, I guess. We'll just have to wait and see what pans out. Even the best of plans can be laid to waste!

As a side note, would you believe that before I could finish writing the above paragraph, I was involved in a foot chase of a felony thief??? Hooked'em and booked'em and then came back to finish this post! He bonded out of jail last night for being an accessory to theft and was re-arrested today before the sun could set.

 

I'm starting to see that trend fade away; I think a huge contributor to officers living longer is that far less of them smoke, and those who did usually quit.

 

I once took a CJ class from the Chief of Police from a local City. He was (I think) in his later fifties, and died while jogging in the morning with some employees. That was a shocker! Such a nice guy. I always remember he used to call the Menendez brothers the "Mendelson" brothers.


Abner

 

Hey Bruce. Now you have an issue to go after for the next contract. Give the union a chance and try to fully explain the merits of your proposal. What's the worst that can happen? There are probably many others out there in your situation. Remember, early retirement (golden handshake) is good for you, but still saves your employer money in the long run. Send your suggestion directly to the President of your union.

Just a thought,

Abner

 

Smokers who drive and flick their still-lighted or unlighted cigarette butts out of moving vehicles.

Why can't they keep it in the car?
Who do they think is going to pick up their trash?
Do they know littering is disgusting and illegal?
Do they think nobody sees them do this?
Do they not give a shit that we are in a drought?
Would they mind if I drove past their house twice a day and flicked one right into their driveway?

 

grinding my gears bad!

technology has been grinding my gears lately, maybe not the technology itself but the over use of it. Every time I go to the store I see at least one person listening to an mp3 player or ipod. I mean is your life really that bad where you need to include your own soundtrack and let the rest of the world just be a blur. And kids walking through the mall or at a restaurant with a PSP or Nintendo DS and parents all complain about their kids not listening or cant figure out why they are antisocial or why they are getting fat. I grew up with a gameboy but I was never allowed to taking into businesses. But what really grinds my gears is people and their cell phones, they cant put them down. I went grocery shopping and there was 5 people on their phones the entire time I was there. Can they not just be cut off from the world for a half hour while you by some stuff, and text messaging kills me. It is like using you TV to listen to the radio. Why type when you have the ability to talk. anyways my list goes on and on but i guess Ill stop here. Thanks for letting me rant.

 

Hahaha.... this is so true. Just walk into my school. Almost every kid has an ipod and a cell phone. It's ridiculous. I'm not that much older than they are, but they can't grasp the concept that I somehow survived high school without those things... I think they'd crap their pants if they had to experience school the way my parents or even grandparents experienced it.

-Matt

 

I know, I am only 22 and I am outraged by this. People my age are just as guilty of this and it just makes me sick. Cut the cord and enjoy the world around you people, seriously.

 

No; every day I see the disastrous results of parents trying to be their children's friend instead of their mother or father.

 

Maybe they're desparately trying to put out an ash tray fire by pouring Diet Pepsi over it, so they crushed out their cigarette on the car door and flicked it out the window.

 

What grinds my gears is a bunch of people sitting behind computer screens venting spleen about what grinds their gears.

 

When my baby girl is born in the next few days (I swear, I don't think she wants to come out!) I'll remember this.

My wife and I are both teachers, and our biggest fear is that we're going to have THAT kid. Both of us have so much experience with other people's kids, we're afraid of how they'll affect us. I just hope that our kid doesn't turn out like some of these spoiled, ignorant brats that I see every day. I guess it's nature vs. nurture after all!

-Matt

 

Or what they see on tv. I was amazed when I taught US Government. My kids were so adamanent about loving Clinton and bashing Bush, yet, they couldn't tell me why. All they could say is that they saw on tv that so and so said this or that, but they always lacked an explaination.

Even my honors students have difficulty explaining things. They've been forced into rote memorization of random facts to pass stupid standardized tests, so that's all they can do. Asking them to write an essay is like asking a fish to do a song and dance routine on land. It's sad when the "dumb" kids I went to school with are smarter and more capable than these honors kids.

 

You know what grinds my gears?

Medical Marijuana

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2008/01/26/sahib.ca.marijuana.vending.kcal?iref=mpvideosview

 

I am fortunate that I was only 22 when I started my Federal Law Enforcement career. I can take my full retirement at age 47 with 25 years in. That still leaves me plenty of time for a second career (ya right ) if I wanted too. My brother works for a local department and has a lot more fun than me (at least since I left the Border Patrol) but I have a much better retirement than he does so I just cant bring myself to leave the Federal side. I have 14 years 2 months to go, but who's counting. I just keep telling myself how great it will be to be able to retire at 47.

As for what grinds my gears, left lane hogs, big time.

 

I'm with you on this one. I hate when someone rides side by side with the slow driver in the right lane. You can't pass the idiot in the left or right lane and the idiot in the left lane has no intention of passing the slow driver in the right lane!!!!

Ted, are you that idiot in the left lane? If I see someone chain drinking Diet Pepsis while smoking a cigarette riding the left lane...I'll know it's you!