Cajun:

Cat, it could be worse.  I recommend if possible you spend a few days volunteering at a children's hospital.  Kids love cops and my department will occasionally go and decorate a Christmas tree with badges, etc. then we donate gifts and things.  I'm a coward though and I've never really gone and met any of the kids.  I watched my mother in law fight and ultimately succumb to cancer, I can't bear to see a 5 year old doing that.  I think it'd be the final straw and I'd just break down right then and there.

I know what you mean.  I have kids, and I wouldn't do well seeing bad things happening to them or any other kids.  I don't know how pediatric oncologists do it.

-=Steve=-

An instant message program?  That would be horrible!  I guess they want you to stay online the entire time your at the desk?  That would send my blood pressure through the roof. 

 We do need to get away from the instant gratification that seems to prevail in society today.  Work has instituded a policy that you email if possible first to discuss a pressing matter then call only as a follow up, it still breaks concentration but lets you time responces.

I have a friend that's a NICU nurse and I have no clue how she does it, but she does. She seems to handle it quite well too. She once brought home a diaper they use in the NICU and it was so tiny it could fit a doll.

I work in IT. The word of stress is a synonym, but what stress me out most is be unable to change the wrong things. I have a brown nosed boss who knows very little about what we do but has an ego of Albert Einstein (that's how he rates himself). I have to really learn how to swallow the broken teeth when a perfectly presented idea got shut down due to his stupidity:). I got use to it now, the best way to deal with that was let the failure educate him and he needs to learn it hard way while I laugh off the comical event in private.

kcdpas:

I work in IT. The word of stress is a synonym, but what stress me out most is be unable to change the wrong things. I have a brown nosed boss who knows very little about what we do but has an ego of Albert Einstein (that's how he rates himself). I have to really learn how to swallow the broken teeth when a perfectly presented idea got shut down due to his stupidity:). I got use to it now, the best way to deal with that was let the failure educate him and he needs to learn it hard way while I laugh off the comical event in private.

My situation's the opposite -- my boss is competent and very well organized, so if I don't have all my ducks in a row that's when I get a black eye.  But at least in that case I deserve it!

-=Steve=-

SteveFoerster:

kcdpas:

I work in IT. The word of stress is a synonym, but what stress me out most is be unable to change the wrong things. I have a brown nosed boss who knows very little about what we do but has an ego of Albert Einstein (that's how he rates himself). I have to really learn how to swallow the broken teeth when a perfectly presented idea got shut down due to his stupidity:). I got use to it now, the best way to deal with that was let the failure educate him and he needs to learn it hard way while I laugh off the comical event in private.

My situation's the opposite -- my boss is competent and very well organized, so if I don't have all my ducks in a row that's when I get a black eye.  But at least in that case I deserve it!

-=Steve=-

I prefer your situation. Work for a moron is very frustrating:). Nepotism is another thing I hate the most. It not what you are matters, in their eyes, who you are is the key.

Try working for several morons.

Singing "...clowns to the left of me, jokers on the right, here I am stuck in the middle with you..."

Cajun:

Try working for several morons.

Singing "...clowns to the left of me, jokers on the right, here I am stuck in the middle with you..."

I feel your pain:). You are an police officer, correct? I can not imagine there are so many morons in the force. No wonder I could get a speeding ticket while my car was parked, just because it was a BMW Z4 without a license plate in downtown SF.

Yep and cops get paid to:

1.) Be lied to

2.) Be reviled

3.) Be a sorry half wit counselors without training or take on any half baked social initiative that the politicians couldn't saddle the fire department with

4.) Get knocked around by lawyers

5.) Get knocked around by management

6.) Get knocked around by the media

7.) Get knocked around by any idiot who feels that since they paid an 8.25% sales tax once that automatically makes a cop their employee

8.) Get knocked around by politicians

9.) In my case get knocked around by some subordinate officers (when they think I cannot hear them and woe unto them when I do)

10.) Get knocked around by judges

And that's the short story.  Okay, pity party on me right?   

Cajun:

Yep and cops get paid to:

1.) Be lied to

2.) Be reviled

3.) Be a sorry half wit counselors without training or take on any half baked social initiative that the politicians couldn't saddle the fire department with

4.) Get knocked around by lawyers

5.) Get knocked around by management

6.) Get knocked around by the media

7.) Get knocked around by any idiot who feels that since they paid an 8.25% sales tax once that automatically makes a cop their employee

8.) Get knocked around by politicians

9.) In my case get knocked around by some subordinate officers (when they think I cannot hear them and woe unto them when I do)

10.) Get knocked around by judges

And that's the short story.  Okay, pity party on me right?   

That was eloquently said:). I hope you will be climb the ranking and becomes a better policy commissioner in you town. That will be a good thing to the public:).

Thanks I do appreciate that.  I will be likely leaving law enforcement as a profession shortly however.  I do intend on reserving as a volunteer and I fully intend to begin writing on the subject which at this time I am prohibited from doing due to potential conflicts of interest. 

As for trying to make a difference, I would like to break into municipal administration and work as a city manager or some similar position.  A city manager can really make a difference as well.

Cajun:

Thanks I do appreciate that.  I will be likely leaving law enforcement as a profession shortly however.  I do intend on reserving as a volunteer and I fully intend to begin writing on the subject which at this time I am prohibited from doing due to potential conflicts of interest. 

As for trying to make a difference, I would like to break into municipal administration and work as a city manager or some similar position.  A city manager can really make a difference as well.

To be a public servant is not easy. There are so many crooked politicians in the governments, federal and local. we are desperately needing some good one's. Friend of mine is a detective in homicide SF PD and I have heard many stories about the corruptions and bad apples existing in the force. Luckily, they are still a very small percentage of police officers. I truly hope you could make a difference.

kcdpas:

To be a public servant is not easy. There are so many crooked politicians in the governments, federal and local. we are desperately needing some good one's.

I disagree; the way I see it, what we desperately need is for people to stop looking to politicians to solve their problems.  Political power attracts those who seek to dominate others.  The less power there is for them to wield, the better.

-=Steve=-

SteveFoerster:

kcdpas:

To be a public servant is not easy. There are so many crooked politicians in the governments, federal and local. we are desperately needing some good one's.

I disagree; the way I see it, what we desperately need is for people to stop looking to politicians to solve their problems.  Political power attracts those who seek to dominate others.  The less power there is for them to wield, the better.

-=Steve=-

Steve, I couldn't agree with you more.  Though I understand what KC is saying too, despite the small govt. vs. big govt. argument, America is really just looking for strong, ethical and "we the people" oriented leadership.  I think everyone is tired of special interest groups, power grabs, millionaire politicians, counter culture agendas and cat fights.

It's like that Nextel Commercial "what if firefighters ruled the world" where they were all in Congress passing legislature.  That commercial had me rolling. 

Cajun:

Steve, I couldn't agree with you more.  Though I understand what KC is saying too, despite the small govt. vs. big govt. argument, America is really just looking for strong, ethical and "we the people" oriented leadership.  I think everyone is tired of special interest groups, power grabs, millionaire politicians, counter culture agendas and cat fights.  It's like that Nextel Commercial "what if firefighters ruled the world" where they were all in Congress passing legislature.  That commercial had me rolling. 

I hadn't seen that ad, but I just YouTubed it, so now I know what you're talking about.  It's cute, but that's the thing -- those aren't the sort of people that are attracted to political power.  (It also glosses over the important detail that government can't create resources out of thin air, but that's another matter.)

As far as people being tired of it all, actions speak louder than words -- if they're so dissatisfied, then why is incumbency the most reliable predictor of electoral success?

-=Steve=-