Flashing lights in the night. In my experience, Police have been the good guys. I have a couple police stories where they have portrayed that Peace Officer we were taught to respect in the past. Here is my best personal experience I had with a policeman. I walked home from a dance in Ridgeway, a man appeared and began talking to me. He was personable and we talked for a bit on the sidewalk. You know how it feels in a small town, like we know everyone, and everyone is kind of related - just friends whos names we dont yet know. Well, I thought nothing of it when he said it would be nice to get breakfast, and would I like to go with him to Verona and get a bite to eat. I agreed and we left to go to Verona. As we were driving toward Barneveld, instead of continuing on the highway, he turned onto a country road. I asked him what we were doing, and he said taking a short cut to Verona. I thought, well I dont know how this could be a shortcut, going north, but I dont know all the back roads. (I have always been somewhat innocent minded as to peoples motives - we expect what we give, and I am harmless). He seemed to be watching me from the corner of his eye but what made me more confused were his hands. Knuckles white with strain, clenching the steering wheel. On this dark, lonely country road it began to feel very tiny, and the night seemed so dark. Suddenly, in the rear view mirror was the flashing light of a police car. They seemed to come from no-where, yet there they were, after 2am - bright and right behind us, hailing us to pull over. The driver, my escort, pulled to the side of this country road. The policeman came to the car and shined a bright light on each of us - did he linger on me? He asked what we were doing, and the driver said, we are going to look at something on his farm. I was confused and said, well he said we were going to eat breakfast at Verona. The policeman shined the light on his face and said, this is not the way to Verona, I will follow you back to the road. We took the country road back to the main highway, and headed over to Verona. I remember some of the talk we had at the restaurant, most of it was just odd. I wont go into details other then 2 things, 1. He never ordered food for himself, and 2. when he was asking me how I disciplined my son (odd conversation for getting to know someone) and talked about spanking (Will was about 1 at this time, I was a single parent who did not believe in physical punishment). I reached my hand across the table to him, sliding them ever so gentle on his tightly clenched fists. I looked into his eyes as softly as I could and said, Hands like this could really hurt a child. I wondered if he bore his fathers hands. I will never forget the strong feeling in my heart of what a lonely boy he might have been. I looked at him and clearly could see the small freckled boy he must have been. I thought how easy it is for a parent to terrorize a child. He drove me home. I never saw him or heard from him again. I believe it was a profound moment in my life. Although it seems so small a thing. I believe perhaps he may have been a rapist, perhaps even deadly. And perhaps the police knew it and were watching him. Perhaps they saw me get in the car and followed, or maybe just staked out his road. Whatever the logical explanation - behind it all I am sure is divine intervention. Inexplicable coincidences have seemed to protect me a few times in my life. As I have put myself in vulnerable situations because of a belief that all people are inherently good and trustworthy. For that man that night long ago, I think he knew I had been saved miraculously. I am certain he was surprised, and I hope if my theory is correct, that it was one of those small, yet defining moments in his life as well. One where he had a chance to reflect on himself. I hope that in some way, he thought of me occasionally thru his life, and that perhaps it stilled a heavy hand. Perhaps helped to harm less people. So to answer his question again, all these years later my words would differ - but my opinion would be the same. To teach something, you must be it. Love teaches love, patience teaches patience, kindness teaches kindness.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 09:07:07 +0000
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