A Cop On The Take

A Cop On The Take:

First he takes ... the oath.

Now look at what else he takes:

He takes... it in stride when people call him pig.

He takes... his lousy pay check realizing he'll never be rich.

He takes... a second job sometimes to make ends meet and support his family.

He takes... time to stop and talk to children.

He takes... your verbal abuse while giving you a ticket you really deserved.

He takes... on creeps you would be afraid to even look at.

He takes... time away from his family to keep you safe.

He takes... your injured child to the hospital.

He takes... the graveyard shift without complaint because it's his turn.

He takes... his life into his hands daily.

He takes... you home when your car breaks down.

He takes... time to explain why both your headlights have to work.

He takes... the job no one else wants--telling you a loved one has died.

He takes ... criminals to jail.

He takes... in sights that would make you cry.

Sometimes he cries too, but he takes it anyway because someone has to.

He takes... memories to bed each night that you couldn't bear for even one day.

He takes... time to explain to his family why he can't make the ball game his child is in and why he has to work on the holiday when other parents are off.

Sometimes, he takes a bullet.

And yes, occasionally he may take a free cup of coffee.

If he is lucky, he takes retirement.

Then one day he pays for all he has taken, and God takes him.

HAVE YOU HUGGED A COP TODAY?

The Life & Times Of Robbie

Robert Charles Wohosky Born: July 12, 1916 Died: June 5, 2008

The Jackson Hole Vacation in 2001

One of my fondest memories of Robbie (My Father-in-Law) includes the vacation we shared together in Jackson Hole, WY back in 2001. Having lived in Wyoming 25 years of my life I never really took what you'd call a "vacation" in Wyoming. My soon to be wife Jenny planned the whole affair for an entire week. We toured Yellowstone, rafted down the mighty Snake River, enjoyed a sensational fireworks display on July 4th and went to a Dude Ranch Dinner where they performed Western Skits, Songs and Comedy.

The greatest part of the vacation was driving to Driggs, ID and taking Robbie on a surprise glider flight for his Birthday. Robbie was a Veteran of WWII and made a career of the military then retired, after that he worked for the military as a civil servant. In his later years he didn't really like to fly perhaps remembering some of the hairy flights he had during the war. Still, once we got to the Airport in Driggs and he found out he was going up in the Glider it may have been one of the most exciting moments in his life.

He got to actually fly the glider on his own once the pilot got him up over the Teton Mountain range near Jackson Hole. When he got off the glider he just beamed and the glider flight became one his most endearing stories that he would later share with friends and relatives.

Robbie was 86 years old when we shared that fun vacation together. Here's another true story about Robbie during that time. Robbie was staying in a Motel in Jackson that was 2 stories high. Believe it or not Robbie could run up a set of stairs two at a time, I couldn't believe it! AT 86 YEARS OLD!! It scared the hell out of me. Not him though, he liked to show off and took great pride in how great of shape he was in.

Robbie's Ice Cream & Shrimp

Robbie loved his shrimp and ice cream and could pack it away even at the age of 91, I was with him at one setting recently where he ate 3 bowls full of Ice Cream and then had a Mexican Coffee on top. This was his desert after finishing a shrimp dinner one day. 

On another occasion I took him for Ice Cream and when he got it he put a death grip on the metal bowl it came in so tight that he ended up freezing his left hand. He hadn't realized why his hand was so cold until he finished the entire bowl. I couldn't help but laugh at him as he tried to shake off the numbness.

One thing is for sure Robbie liked his shrimp and ice cream and never passed up an opportunity to have it. In the twilight of his life it was one of the simple special pleasures he enjoyed.

Robbie's Greatest Accomplishment

Robbie was a Husband, a Father of 5, 4 boys and 1 girl, a WWII Veteran, an accomplished photographer, piano player, loved studying weather daily with his computer weather station and for years enjoyed ham radio which was among his hobbies. His photographs are some of the best 35mm pictures I've ever seen. He was a very intelligent man who was also the King of Trivia and passed that love of trivia onto all of his kids.

Still, far and away maybe his greatest shining moment came when he had to care for his wife Margaret when she developed Alzheimer's in the late 80's. She took the long slow road to heaven but Robbie was with her every day of her journey until she died in 1997.

Robbie didn't put her in a nursing home and insisted on caring for her himself at home. With some assistance and guidance from Jenny, Robbie took care of her needs for 5 years.

Knowing Robbie the way I do I know this was really the ultimate stretch and sacrifice he could have made because in reality I'm not sure his personality was suited for such a job. Still he managed to bow his neck and suck it up and think of Margaret instead of himself. I truly admire him for riding out all the sad and ugly days he must have had to face during her illness.

Robbie's "Renaissance"

Robbie had what Jenny has called a "Renaissance" late in his life which Jenny and me were fortunate to experience with him.

Sadly though, for years and years in his family tensions with his sons were high and most of it was due to his own behavior. Robbie was a flawed human being as we all are and he made his share of mistakes in life. Though he rarely spoke or dealt with the relationship he had with his sons, I'm just positive if he had to do it over again I'm certain he would have parented his boys in a different way.

Still one has to remember Robbie was a child of the Great Depression and a career military man who believed in discipline and control. He just didn't know any other way to be. In the stories I've heard he was probably way too hard on his sons, especially the first 2. He was not unlike many men of his generation. He really wasn't what you'd call a warm and fuzzy guy in his early years. Inside he was a softy but he didn't have the ability to express love. Sadly as the years went on the walls were built between him and his sons. I think he just couldn't bring himself to make amends and tell them just how much he loved them.

I know the feeling my Dad in 48 years of my life has never spoken the words "I love you" to me either. So I know how difficult it can be to come to terms with someone who won't lay their feelings out on the table and express them.

I only knew Robbie for 7 years but in that time he took a liking to me and always said I was the nicest "Frenchie" he ever met. I was the beneficiary of his "Renaissance."  He showered me with praise and gifts. I think he liked me because I would set and listen to his stories without interrupting him. I also think he respected me for always being straight up with him and calling him on some of his stuff. I was probably one of the few people in his life who could call him out because most of the time Robbie pretty much did and said things his own way.

Robbie's Passing

Robbie had prostate cancer, that along with a very bad urinary tract infection, the 3rd one he had developed in the last two months. He was taking some very strong drugs for the pain in his prostate which in the last month of his life confused him and added to his slow then very quick slip into the fog. He was only in the Hospital for a week. It seemed liked it was going to be the longest week of our lives between his illness and some of the pre-existing family tension prior to his hospitalization.

For me anyway, the family issues were the toughest to deal with in the beginning but eventually they were resolved thankfully and we could get on with the business of caring for Robbie.  He would really only rally one day while he was in the Hospital and then on Sunday he started the last decline.

It's really the first time in my life I had experienced an extended family vigil. It was a very sad thing to see a man who 2 weeks earlier was still living a relatively independent existence. He was in so much pain and eventually the medicine he was taking for it quickly stole what memories and life he had left. We took him to a Hospice House on June 4 and on the morning of June 5 at 6 a.m. God finally took him.

When Jenny and I arrived at the Hospice House to view Robbie's body he was truly at peace, his face was free of the pain he had been suffering from. It's a site I won't forget. Thankfully he didn't suffer long and the week we thought in the beginning was one of the longest ones of lives seemed incredibly quick once he was finally taken from us.

Robbie's life taught me many things and so did his death. I'm grateful and thankful he was in my life. I hope now that he's in a better place he take that next glider flight, the one he wanted to take when he turned 100 years old. Except now he can enjoy the view from above.

Robbie by the way, if you can hear me up there if you don't teach Margaret how to drive by the time I get up there I going to kick your butt sideways, so beware.

I love you Robbie. God speed.

St. Patrick's Day and the Wyoming Jaycees

St. Patrick's Day has a very special place in my heart. In January of 1986 I joined the Worland, WY Jaycees.  It was the beginning of a huge growth experience which began almost immediately. After being a member for just a month I was approached at one the meetings and asked if I wanted to chair the Multiple Sclerosis Ugly Bartender Contest.

The contest was a U.S. Jaycees nationwide program to raise money to help people afflicted with MS. The contest was also sponsored by the Wyoming Jaycees and at that time there was 33 Jaycee Chapters in the State with most participating in the contest.

The contest was really a local competition between bars to see which one could raise the most money for MS by whatever means possible. It kicked off on St. Patrick's Day and ended a month later on April 17.

In the beginning I really had no idea how to chair a project since it was my first and didn't have a clue how I was going to convince anyone to participate. I was 25 years old at that time and didn't have all that much confidence in my abilities to sell the idea to bar owners. I was at that time a very shy introverted person who feared public speaking so much I just couldn't imagine someone with my personality type selling the idea to anyone.  During that time the Worland Jaycees only had about a dozen members who were active in the chapter so I knew if I took on the project I was really taking it on myself.

The previous year the Worland Jaycees ran the contest they had 3 bars that participated and raised $300.  I felt like I had to reach for a higher goal.  I somehow had to prove to the guys in the Chapter that I was worthy of being a member of their group.

I felt like the only chance I had at success was to just walk into each bar, be myself, tell them what the contest was about and were the money raised would be spent.  I also knew that in order to have them gain trust in me I would have to be there for any of the projects or fundraisers they tried and help them promote their events in any way possible.   I also knew that the important key was constant follow up. The most important thing I felt I had to do was just make each person I met a friend.

Ultimately I convinced 23 bars from Worland, Ten Sleep, Manderson, Basin and Greybull, WY to participate.  In all the 23 bars raised over $4,300 in the month long fundraising event.

The contest was the beginning of a rebirth for me and helped me come out of the shell I had been in for most of my young adult life.  I made so many new friends, learned so much about people and organization from the contest it was like going to and graduating from a Carnegie Program. In fact most of the principles I put to use came from his book, "How to win friends and influence people."

The contest launched a lifelong 15 year career in Jaycees for me. The friends, projects and all the wonderful learning experiences I gleamed from the Jaycees have meant the world to me.   

I don't have an advanced college degree in Business or Psychology but I put my learning experiences in the Jaycees equal to any degree from any college. What I lacked in education, I made up for in just hard work and determination to succeed.  There are so many unbelievable stories of men and woman just like me that understand that giving just a little time to a worthy cause can bring back so much in return. 

So many of the highly educated in this country talk a good talk but it seems few put their time and their talents were their mouths are to a cause or a community service organization. The people I most admire are the ones who "do", who "act" and who “risk” going outside their own comfort zone to do something for someone other than themselves.

March 17, 1986 was the day I began to come to some understanding of these principles. I only hope that anyone who reads this will be inspired to go out and actively participate in some worthy community cause whatever it may be. If you are under 41 the Jaycees are a great place to start.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Jay Cutler a Dream come True...

I'm just so excited that Mike Shanahan made the decision to move up in the draft and take Jay Cutler.  The Broncos Fans on this site know that I'm the President of the Plummer Hater Club.  Out of the gate he has far better physical tools than Plummer has on his best day.

Jay Cutler

It'll take time for him to learn Shanny’s offensive but I wouldn’t be shocked at all to see Cutler starting by the end of the year.  Many Bronco Homers are saying we'll go all the way back to the AFC Championship Game with Plummer under Center.  I don’t think the road will be as easy as it was last year.  The running game of the Broncos will be a question mark going into the season.  Bell and Dayne will hopefully carry the load but I have concerns about either banging out yards all season long like an Anderson.

Hopefully on day 2 of the draft we'll address the defensive side of the ball and try to pick up a DT and/or DE and a SS.  I wonder to if Shanny may look for a sleeper WR.  If Walker's knee is strong he comes in and has an immediately impact, if not we have issues at WR.

I'm not convinced the front 4 on the D line is good enough to get the up field push we need.  The last half of the season last year the Broncos were not getting any pressure with the front 4. That’s why Pryce was traded.  We need depth at DL badly.

The good news is we have a great young QB to build around now.  I can't wait to see Cutler on the field.  Go Broncos!!! 

The Jaycee Creed

The year was 1946, the place, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.A.; the event, the United States Junior Chamber National Convention. Visitors came from Canada, Mexico, South America, Europe and the Philippine Islands. It was here that the idea of a JCI Creed was born.

Past President of the Ohio Junior Chamber and National Vice President of the United States Junior Chamber C. William Brownfield realized at this convention that the organization did not have a Creed. He was inspired by the devotion of Junior Chamber members "to the purpose of serving mankind in a thousand different ways, right down at the grass roots where freedom lives or dies."

Brownfield saw Junior Chamber as "the potential for a new force in the world, one capable of changing the balance between victory or defeat for our chosen way of life in a time of crisis."

The actual writing of the Creed took place in July 1946 during a drive from Brownfield's hometown of Columbus, Ohio, to his coal mine in New Lexington, a journey of about 75 minutes. He started that journey with a firm conviction in his mind to work on the Creed. It was during that trip that the following words came to mind and were put on paper:

That the brotherhood of man transcends the sovereignty of nations.
Economic justice can best be won by free men through free enterprise.
Government should be of laws, rather than of men.
Earths great treasure lies in human personality.
Service to humanity is the best work of life.

In 1950 the first line, "We believe that faith in God gives meaning and purpose to human life. " was added.   Since it was written, Junior Chamber members all over the world recite the Creed at local, national and international meetings and functions. During that time there has been much discussion of the interpretation of the Creed. The author himself said, "Every Member is free to interpret the Creed in the light of his own conscience."

The following interpretation is based on Brownfield's own views and what is commonly believed and understood to be the meaning of the Creed to the organization.

"We believe..."

Everyone must believe in some ideal, principle or philosophy. To believe is to practice what is believed to be true.

"That faith in God gives meaning and purpose to human life."

"God" here does not refer to any specific religious God, but to a supreme omnipotence. It does not matter who or what your God is; the line is just saying that you must believe in something. Brownfield interpreted it in this way: "The Junior Chamber membership, drawn from many religious backgrounds, is united by a common bond of faith; that man lives by the will of (his/her) God, that Gods will for man is good; and that the life worthwhile is lived in harmony with His eternal plan."

"That the brotherhood of man transcends the sovereignty of nations."

This line breaks down all the boundaries that have been imagined by mankind. It simply means that all men and women are equal. It respects allegiance to ones country, but, at the same time, reinforces the idea that man is a citizen of the world. Brownfield put it this way: "Man-made boundaries have been drawn and redrawn, separating the human race into many nations. But across these unnatural divisions there has been an intercourse in art, science, commerce and religion; evidence of mans universal brotherhood; proof that man himself, not his territorial divisions, is of basic worth."

"That economic justice can best be won by free men through free enterprise."

The operative words here are "can best be won." Junior Chamber members believe that man should be free to use his skills and abilities to the limit in improving his economy. Brownfield expressed it this way: "Where economic improvement has been greatest, man has been free to follow his dream of making a personal fortune by doing something never done before, or by doing it better." He also said, " the system of self-development through private enterprise could be adapted with variations to suit local conditions in many parts of the world."

"That government should be of laws rather than of men."

This tenet of the Creed simply means that no one should be above the law, and that the law should be the same for all people, no matter what status they hold in society. The government must be based on constitutional law, accepted and ratified by a majority of the people. The power to change laws and elect governments should remain in the hands of a majority of the people. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, spoke of a government "of the people, for the people, and by the people." This line of the Creed crystallizes what President Lincoln was talking about so many decades ago. Brownfield expressed the meaning this way: "In a free society, the fundamental law is derived from the people. It is they who hold the final authority."

"That earths great treasure lies in human personality."

Every individual has a separate and unique personality. That is the main difference between humans and other creatures of the world. That uniqueness makes the human personality earths greatest treasure. It cannot be duplicated nor can it be made. Brownfield's views on this line are: "True treasure lies in the hearts of men. There is about us a vast field of opportunity for cultivation of the human personality. Its not the quantity nor the length of life that gives it zest, but the quality of living, the achievement we make in terms of human progress."

"And that service to humanity is the best work of life."

This final tenet of the Creed is the logical culmination of the preceding lines. A person who believes in the Creed will most definitely find service to humanity to be the best work of life. Note the word humanity. Brownfield's interpretation of this line of the Creed is: "The life lived unselfishly grows richer, deeper and fuller. Joy is more enduring and peace of mind, more certain. The world looks at the contribution such a life has made and marks the one who lived it as a benefactor of the race; yet he knows in truth the greater benefit has been his own."

No matter what a members interpretation of the Creed may be, he or she should always practice what he or she believes. Many unsuccessful attempts have been made to change the Creed, but it has prevailed through the years and continues to be as the covenant that holds the organization together. Many members have made the Creed their guide in life. Brownfield aptly summarized his interpretation of the Creed when he said: "Only in the deed can the world become flesh."

Taken from the U.S. Jaycees Website.