Reflections in the Midst of Chaos

One of the most chaotic scenes that law enforcement respond to are motor vehicle accidents. In some cases, there has been a enormous amount of energy released destructively through man and machine and the results are often catastrophic. These are situations that require the highest levels of concentration and emotional compartmentalization. So much of youhas to be set aside to get the job done. You are rolling at a break-neck pace towards and unknown event. I responded to one such event the other night.

Accident scenes are a funny thing. One that looks like a minor fender bender could be concealing a fatality and one with twisted, smoking wreckage could revel nothing more than a scratch or a bump on the head. The trick is that until you get on scene you have no idea what you are going to be wading into. The accident from the other night looked horrific at first glance. One SUV had turned in front of another SUV and the two had hit head-on at speeds reaching 55mph. There were pieces of metal and smoking vehicles littered across two lanes of highway and traffic on that side of the road and ground to a halt.

As soon as I arrived an hit the ground running, I was assaulted with the smells and stings of acrid smoke boiling out of the vehicles. My guys had arrived just before me and were checking on the occupants. One of the accident vehicle's horns was blaring at full blast and the other car was still running as it belched smoke, oil, transmission fluid, and radiator coolant across the highway. My guys signal to me that the injuries are minor despite the appearance of the wrecked vehicles. I start to try to pry the hood open to get the horn to stop stabbing ice picks into my ear drums! As I am slipping and sliding and fighting the twisted metal of the vehicle in the sweltering sun of a southern afternoon, my eyes are drawn to a bright glint at my feet. Half-buried among the fluids and debris was a perfectly spherical ball bearing winking at me. It was such a surreal moment to have all of the chaos ensuing around me and then everything faded to a whisper as I looked at the mirrored surface and saw my sweaty self reflected back at me. I bent down and plucked the ball bearing from the wreckage and slid into my pants pocket.

I instantly went back to the task at hand and neutralized the horn. I then turned my attention to getting the other vehicle turned off and getting some wreckers there to clear the area as my guys directed traffic and gathered the information for the report. We easily slid into the robotic role of getting the job done and the highway clear. Jumping from task to task in a seamless fashion. The wreckage was removed, the spills erased, the injured transported to the hospital, and we mount back up and ride out with little trace that we were ever there or that three people we just a few short feet from destruction.

I meet with my guys in a nearby parking lot to debrief them and go over what we did right and what we can improve upon in the future. They head out and I crank up the A/C and take the ball bearing out of my pocket. I am again struck by it's simplistic, spherical beauty. I am reminded, as I have been so many times in my career, that beauty is found is so many places where we least expect it. That in the midst of this chaos there was a wondrous treasure at my feet beckoning for my attention. We need to me more mindful of finding beauty where we think it may not be. Would should embrace the possibility that we may not know all or see all of any given situation. Just moments before this ball bearing was hidden with the workings of a machine that the operator felt was confidently safe as sitting on his couch. Things change. Embrace each moment with purpose.

As I sat in my patrol car and stared at my tiny refection in the ball bearing, I mused that so too do I see my refection in all of the good and evil I come into contact with each day. How both the good and the bad has touched my soul and found a kindred spirit. We are all made up of sinner and saints. But for the grace of God go I. Most days I see the worst we have to offer as a society, but every now and then, on rare occasions, I see the sublime. I see us taking care of each other. I see hope. I get to witness redemption........

If you made it this far in this post, I hope it made an impact on you. If it did, make a thoroughly conscious, deliberate attempt to do something for someone tomorrow who can never hope to pay you back. That is were immortality lies. I love you all.

Previously published on my Weku blog at this link.

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Posted from my blog with SteemPress : http://papacrusher.vornix.blog/2018/10/02/reflections-in-the-midst-of-chaos/

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All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter,
Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost
-Tolkien