Looking beyond ourselves

Upon awakening and preparing for my day, I decided to turn on the news and listen to the current events unfolding on a national scale recently.

Stephens

As I reached forward to pull on my work boots, I couldn’t help but notice that the segment monopolizing the airways seemed somewhat comical on multiple levels.

Outrage was voiced over a series finale, which had abruptly come to an end after a rather anticlimactic conclusion, following eight seasons and a magnitude of medieval want-a-be followers.

Reports of discontent and petitions touting 80,000 signatures demanding a total rewrite of the final season, as well as the termination of the writing staff, filled the narrative.

In addition, the news wire reported the outrage by many over the existence of a modern water bottle seemingly forgotten, making its presence within the filmed scene.

As my face ventured a smile, while my mind could merely demand my limbs commence an unbelieving, slight head shake, I was left with an overwhelming sense of bewilderment as to how and when every aspect of modern society became about us individually.

My mind rapidly moved to my memories of teaching police recruits throughout the State of Missouri.

During these training events, I would routinely find myself deeply immersed in displaying the newest, most effective defensive tactic designed around maintaining safety and ensuring each officer successfully ended their shift.

It was common place for me to get to a point where I would feel it was necessary to cease the training and lecture the recruits over issues such as commitment, diligence and honor due to the lack of seriousness being displayed on their part.

Our brief lectures would include the importance of understanding the nobility of the badge we bare as well as our service to society.

One critical aspect I never left unsaid, with the recruits, was the fact that our service rarely is inclusive of our personal desires and feelings, but rather is entirely about the public we serve.

Helping young peace officers understand that it matters very little how great they look, the equipment they carry, the control they exert or the general powerful demeanor they display and that it in fact is menial comparatively to the ultimate gauge of successful policing and citizenship.

Our modern society has seemingly shifted from a time when the common good and reliance upon wisdom and guidance from past generations and individuals skilled in the arena have been overtaken by a thought process of grandeur and narcissistic superiority.

It seems, gone are the days we can hear a leader, such as John F. Kennedy state, “My fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country” without the self described experts portraying the negative ramifications of such statements and the more pliable solution which they personally uncovered.

Although the behavior is prevalent in our modern interactions, I remain hopeful that we can uncover both a desire for wisdom through history while maintaining a healthy bit of individuality.

As I have preached to my students, my friends, it is less about us and much more about society as a whole.

Grasping this aspect of everyday living and communication will assuredly enhance our ability to interact with one another regardless of our chosen career or status.

In the end, while we may not meet the expectations some place in front of us, we surely can find some humor in the process.

Keep striving forward my friends, it’s not about you and me, it’s all about our outlook. Our service to our community, culture and planet is rarely about us, but rather it’s all about the receiver and our commitment to look beyond ourselves.