Some jobs have side benefits that aren’t deducted from your paycheck. For instance, when I worked on a carpentry crew framing custom homes, instead of health insurance we received suntans, a great sense of balance, and all the strength training that could be handled during a work day. It seemed like a great deal at the time and I really enjoyed that line of work. Being a police officer is no different in this respect.
One of the largest “non deductible” benefits to this job is developing a strong sense of situational awareness. My work environment brings regular exposure to dangerous people, vehicle/foot pursuits, fights, robberies in progress, shootings, and more. This is what has become of most large American “inner” cities. Functioning well under these conditions will inevitably help build a strong mindset.
The average guy, who wants to be alert and prepared, most likely doesn’t have the opportunity to function often in these types of circumstances. That’s a good thing or we’d already be living “Mad Max.” However, without some real life experience and time/stress training it is difficult to fully develop your mindset. I want to start an occasional series of entries to share with the readers some of the things that I’ve learned along the way and hopefully help with that development.
Of course, I don’t even come close to knowing it all and I approach each new shift at work as a student of the harder side of life. Unfairness, sudden calamity, life changing mistakes, and a myriad of other dangers wait daily in the wings for the right opportunity to swallow the unwitting and the experienced alike. No man is ever able to rise above these facts and can only maintain his relationship with God and run the race of life to the best of his ability. I hope that in these following articles the readers will find at least a few nuggets to help guide the way should any treacherous situation come along.