THANKS, OFFICER!

In light of what we’ve seen and heard in the news recently, it becomes increasingly harder for me to believe that people are willing to take on the roles of law enforcement officers. The risks that go with the territory loom larger every day. My words, here, can’t measure up to the gratitude and awe due our police.

Although I might feel resentful because we spoiled our driving record this year by being pulled over by flashing lights an unprecedented number of times (saying our, I really mean my husband’s record), I know they had valid reasons for stopping us those times I was with him. I guess it’s natural to say, “Look at all the crazy drivers we see every day that go unchecked. Why us? We weren’t doing anything so bad.”

A few months ago, there was the yellow light that just turned red as we drove under it. Recently, we didn’t slow down soon enough as we entered a 25 mph village zone. Neither are so terrible, but there sat a cop just in time to catch us – when he’d probably missed many other more menacing situations. Oh well, maybe we should admit that it was our turn.

That last time, the young officer no doubt took pity on the shaken man with the middle-aged wife who was overly concerned about her cake with the whipped cream frosting and the two vases of flowers wilting in the hot sun searing the scene of the crime. Thankfully, he sent us on our way with only a warning.

Our last name is not an easy one to communicate over the phone. It often comes back to haunt us as “Steed or Steve”, since it is hard to distinguish that “B” sound. I usually spell it by saying “B, as in boy”. This makes me aware that, other than “F, as in Frank”, I don’t know any of the other names that are established to convey the alphabet phonetically.

Here they are, thanks to our neighbor and friend – a local policeman whose children (the Kloss kids) have stolen our hearts when we baby sit them from time to time. Danny and Mary, thank your Daddy, and I thank his colleagues across our country and throughout the world for being there for us – even if they flash their lights at us once in awhile.

PHONETIC ALPHABET CHART

      A       –       Adam

      B      –      Boy

      C      –      Charles

      D      –      David

      E      –      Edward

      F      –      Frank

      G      –      George

      H      –      Henry

      I       –       Ida

      J      –      John

      K      –      King

      L      –      Lincoln

      M      –      Mary

      N      –      Nora

      O      –      Ocean

      P      –      Paul

      Q      –      Queen

      R      –      Robert

      S      –      Sam

      T      –      Tom

      U      –      Union

      V      –      Victor

      W      –      William

      X      –      X-Ray

      Y      –      Young

      Z      –      Zebra