Friday, March 25, 2016

Different Days

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Nico (left) and Christopher enjoying the Florida winter. 2016


March 25, 2016

The metal of the car was being ripped a part about the same time I was receiving text pictures of my boys, Nico and Christopher, as they were having a great time at the beach.  A car accident occurring in real time, but I hadn’t been made aware of the crash just yet. Today is like any day of people who work, live and pray. But are experiences can greatly vary.

I recall smiling at that picture from the safety of my police car. I can’t imagine the driver of the SUV was having any fond memories unless his life was flashing before his eyes as the fear of what was occurring began to register with him.  

The smile beamed across my face seeing those pictures of them standing on the beach. The sun was out. The water was blue and for them it was a perfect day. It probably would have been better if I could have been there.


That driver of the doomed SUV was being tossed and turned with each roller coaster roll that car made as the momentum swung him around and around.  The metal was taking a pounding from the asphalt causing the red painted mental to began to splinter out from the quarter panels, doors and hood. As the SUV rolled across the three lanes of highway the metal jagged ends gouged out the asphalt scratching an etch-a-sketched path of the mangled cars path until it crashing into a palm tree and rested upside down.

It was heaven for me seeing those boys. Especially when I’m working a twelve hour shift. I miss special moments like this some times. I’m left to sit in my police car and imagine those “tasty waves” and be mesmerized from that sunny day and I try to get lost on that sandy beach.

BEEP (the alert tones sound from my police car radio)

“All units proceed to the area of 199th and Oak Street there is a vehicle roll over into some very large trees,” the dispatcher calmly broadcasts on the radio.

I placed my iPhone 6 plus on top of my open laptop. The laptop is securely fastened to a computer stand that’s mounted inside my police car. I reach down with my right hand and simultaneously flip on all the emergency lights and sirens, which place my police car from intimidator to full “get the hell out of my way” mode.

My adrenaline begins to take over as I think about what I might see when I arrive. Is there anyone hurt? Is there a person trapped? Can somebody be dead?

“Save a life, Chris. Save a life. The first rule of law enforcement.”

I accelerate my police car from 30 miles per hour up to 65 miles an hour. It fluctuates back and forth as I approach other cars and try to safely clear intersections.

I look towards my computer and notice my phone is still on and the picture of my boys was staring back at me. A picture perfect do for them but not so much for others. It’s amazing how life can be so good to some and worse for others. But eventually we all get a taste of both sides regardless of what this moment gives us.

I arrive on scene and move through the crowd of people who were staring at the carnage. Some were filming it others were gawking most seemed concerned.

“Give us some room to work, please,” I announce, “there is plenty of time for social media pictures but from far away.”

I climb on top of the car and open the rear door of the SUV.

I peered down and see a head on the passenger side of the car. He looked like he was pinned in. He was the driver and he wasn’t seat belted in.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Si, si, just stuck,” the driver shouted.

I stood on the frame of the sideways car and talked to him until the fire rescue personal arrived. The man was fine but scared. Hell anyone would be. Just the sight alone of the how his car was would allow anyone to assume no one survived.


Such a perfect day, this day, for my boys, while they were at the beach having a lot of fun in the Florida sun those kids didn’t have a care in the world. And yet a much different day for this man, in this car, that was lying on its side. But he will live and hopefully see a better day, much more different then the one he just got done experiencing. We should all be so lucky to have better days than the one before.


Captain Imperfecto, March 2016


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