May 20, 2005
Remember
Every hour of every day there is a dedicated group of men and women that form themselves into a "thin blue line". The are the glue that keeps a thin veneer of civility in place. They are all heroes, although they are not saints.
They struggle with the same question we all have about life, and our society and where it's headed. But they must put their personal questions aside and try to keep the status quo running smoothly while ensuring the status quo doesn't become a smothering weight that slowly chokes the life out of us.
These are the men and women of Law Enforcement. I am very proud to have once counted myself among their members. They should never be regarded as above the rest of us, they are all too human, with all that entails; BUT they should merit respect for their constant struggle against the evils in our society that threaten to overcome all that is good in life.
Here is a tribute written by one of their own. It touched me deeply. I've been there when they finally managed to cut the last piece of wreckage blocking access to an accident victom, only to find it was too late to help them. I was there on the front porch when a mother found out that her son would never come home again. I had known the son for four years. I was grieving with her, but could not presume to show it, as it would have been unprofessional, and only add to her pain. Deputy Lindsey has composed a fitting tribute, I am humbled to be able to pass it along.
You Don't Remember Me, Do You...
by Tim Lindsey, Lamar County Sheriff's Dept.
You don't remember me, do you...
I was the one who unlocked your car after you accidentally locked the keys and your baby up at the mall.
I was the one who gave you a ride to the gas station when you ran out of gas on that backroad.
I was the one who changed your tire because you couldn't figure out how to work the stupid scissor jack.
I was the one who directed you safely through that busy intersection when the traffic signals weren't working.
I was the one who gave you a jump-start after you left your lights on.
You don't remember me, do you...
I was the one who found the item that identified the guy who raped your daughter.
I was the one who spent my days off in court to testify and help convict the man who beat your son so badly.
I was the one who located your grandmother in the woods that night when it was 22 degrees and she had wandered away from the nursing home.
I was the one who loaned you the raincoat the night we stood and watched your house burn.
I was the one who talked with you for two hours about your son running away from home.
You don't remember me, do you...
I was the one who held your hand, wiped the blood out of you eyes, and calmed you down while the Fire Department cut you out of what was left of your car.
I was the one who called you at 2 a.m. to come pick up your 16 year old daughterbecause she had been drinking too much.
I was the one who knocked on your door at 4 a.m. to let you know your 16 year old daughter would never be coming home again.
I was the one who did CPR on your 3 year old after you found him in the pool.
I was the one who helped deliver your new baby when you didn't quite make it to the ER.
You don't remember me, do you...
I was the one who got that snake out of your bathroom around midnight.
I was the one who got my knees and elbows scraped up fighting with the shoplifter with your carton of cigarettes.
I was the one who took your son for a "ride-along" so he could see what it was really like.
I was the one who gave you the right directions so you wouldn't miss that business meeting.
I was the one who stopped you to let you know your right rear tire was going flat.
You don't remember me, do you...
I was the one who escorted your son's funeral procession from the church to the cemeteryand cried behind my sunglasses because he was my friend, too.
I was the one watched over your place while you were on vacation.
I was the one who worked for you on Christmas Day so you could be off with your family.
I was the one who joked around with you after your truck got hit by a trainand you walked away without a scratch.
I was the one was able to talk your husband into going into counseling with you.
You don't remember me, do you...
I was the one who got shot when I pulled over a car for a traffic violation and the driver turned out to be an escaped convict who had sworn he would never go back to prison.
Oh, by the way, my memorial service is at 2 p.m.
Will you remember me now?