Random Acts of Kindness To Police Officers
How often do you turn on the news and become bombarded with all of the bad and negatives that are going on in the world around us? There is so much bad portrayed through the media that one may think nothing good ever happens.
One of the groups that are often impacted by the negativity portrayed in the news are the police officers who enforce the law. Any time that there is crime involved, there is always the potential for danger. And well, since the job of a cop is to protect and to enforce, they are often front and center of the danger that results when a crime is committed.
Do I think police officers are treated unfairly? Absolutely! They are criticized for being too strict, or in the case where they are not strict enough, they are ridiculed by the public eye. When it comes to being judged as a police officer, there is no winning.
What we fail to realize, though, is that every police officer is actually there to keep us safe. Imagine all of the crimes that would be committed if we didn’t have police officers. If you thought there was a lot of crime now, that number would skyrocket.
They also risk their lives to keep us safe. Do you think you would have the courage to throw on a bulletproof vest every day to ensure that you got to make it home alive? Do you think you could have the strength to walk around with a gun all day knowing all too well that there may come a time and a day where you would have to use it? Do you think you could live with knowing that people’s lives depend on you?
Yeah, it doesn’t sound like much fun now, does it?
Giving Back To Police Officers
I was at the gas station the other day when I noticed a group of cops hanging outside. They were just sitting there talking when a man started yelling at them from across the parking lot. The group of officers weren’t doing anything wrong, there was no crime being committed, but yet, here was a middle-aged man yelling at them for no apparent reason.
What did the cops do? They just stood there and ignored it. To them, this seemed ordinary. It seemed like they have been yelled at before and have learned to just accept it for what it is.
Growing up, I always wanted to be a cop. I wanted to take the bad guys off the streets, to protect people, and to help solve crime. But after witnessing what I just saw, I don’t know if I would have had the strength to hold back my emotions.
I walked into the back of the gas station, grabbed a soda, and went to go pay for it. By that time, one of the officers had ironically enough grabbed a coffee and a donut and was behind me in line. As I set my soda on the counter, I told the clerk that I would like to pay for the officer’s food and drink as well.
When I turned around and motioned for him to put his stuff up on the counter, he told me that I really didn’t have to do that. He was right, I didn’t have to, but I wanted to. Any person who is willing to risk their lives for my safety is deserving of much more than a donut and a coffee.
He set his things on the counter and said thank you. I put out my hand to shake his hand, and said, “No, thank you!” To be completely honest, it was the least that I could do for him, especially for all he does to protect my community and for how little recognition he gets.
Final Thoughts
Being a police officer isn’t easy work. You are constantly under scrutiny and constantly being judged by those around you. So the next time you see a cop, doing something nice for them.
Maybe you buy them a coffee or treat them to a donut. Perhaps it’s even something as small as thanking them for risking their lives to protect yours. It doesn’t matter how you show kindness just as long as you show it.
Michael Bonnell
Yesterday’s random act of kindness: Taking Christmas Card Photos For Free