Rick Minerd - Life Is A Jukebox

I never get tired of being asked if I miss being in broadcasting.  It doesn't come up as much as it used to,  but then nothing does. The older and further removed I get from those years the less I hear from anyone who knew me then.

So when someone does ask, it keeps a glimmer of satisfaction glowing that someone cares enough to want to know. The truth is,  I do sometimes.  But I spent enough time focusing on a different career that I think I miss it just as much.

It's hard to explain, but I think most cops never become ex-cops.  I know too many who have walked away from that life but didn't really leave it behind. There's something about doing a job that those outside of the industry find difficult to understand.

Unlike the military, or the fire department, cops rarely hear people tell them how brave they are, or how much they are appreciated.  Instead they hear doughnut jokes.

People love firefighters. But few people are happy to be visited by the police. They'll wave at fire trucks but cringe at the site of a patrol car.

I can't count the times I've heard,  "Where's a cop when you need one."

And when it comes to the military,  people are quick to say, "Thank you for protecting us."  Cops hear, "Surely there's a crime somewhere you could be fighting." Especially if the cop happens to be issuing them a citation.

With respect to  military personnel, I will argue that it might make little difference to the citizens of Baghdad if cops here at home didn't "enlist"  for homeland security duty, but if it weren't for them Baghdad would be safer than Columbus, Ohio. It's my opinion that cops are the ones who do most of the  "protecting"  that matters most for Americas everyday safety.

But people who believe protecting foreign lands ranks higher than watching over local communities should understand that if it weren't for law enforcement there would be total chaos and anarchy here.

When I'm asked, "Did you serve in the military?"  I reply "No I didn't, but I did serve in homeland security for a couple of decades."  And too often that is met with a comment that amounts to  "Is that all?"

And maybe because I decided that a military lifestyle wasn't for me,  I believe that cops who serve whole careers serving and protecting have earned at least the same respect as someone who signs up to protect faraway lands.

 And why it's hard to understand why so many people are willing to acknowledge the efforts of soldiers but neglect  to extend any similar appreciation for the men and women who are ready to risk just as much for them right here at home.

It's not that I ever considered myself as any kind of a hero, but I can truthfully say that I did enjoy my work as a police officer. Having had the opportunity to see up close and personal the reasons cops are necessary,  having been in a position to help find missing loved ones or prevent serious harm  being inflicted on someone did provide some satisfactory moments.

More so than receiving good ratings on radio. And like our brothers and sisters in the military, the protectors here at home have to endure seeing comrades fall,  they have to deal with the  violent deaths of innocent people and they have to be willing to venture into dangerous situations on behalf of some who either don't care or don't understand why they do what they know they have to do.

So I do miss the excitement and the interesting work of broadcasting.  But no more than I miss the doughnuts.   Rick 

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