"You can observe a lot by watching”!

Top of the weekend my friends! To paraphrase Baseball great Yogi Berra “You can observe a lot by watching”!

As you can tell, I got another one of those stories! Okay as you know (maybe not) almost every morning I get in an 8 mile walk. I love to greet people on this daily journey too. By the way, I’m a waver! You would think I grew up in the back woods. I wave to almost everybody while I stroll!

My favorite wave recipients are our frontline workers, like teachers, medical professionals, law enforcement and fire fighting folks. I really get my wave on then!!! I don’t want this new normal to mean we forgot our old courtesies! It’s my small way of saying thanks!

Anyway, this morning I waved at a officer as he drove by in his Police SUV. I was about a half mile down the road. When the officer pulled up along side of me. One of the regular lady joggers was running past us as we talked.

The officer asked “Did you see me wave back?”

“Actually no I didn’t”.

He continued “I thought so”. “That’s why I turned around to make sure you knew I waved back.” “Also I wanted to say good morning too!”

“Thanks so much officer! Top of the morning to you too sir! Have a great day and a much better week!” He says “thanks again” and drives off.

Here’s where our “you can observe a lot by watching” moment begins. Roughly about 5 minutes later the regular lady jogger returns. “Are you alright?” “Yeah” I answered.” “why?”

She continues “I watched that officer drive pass me to pull you over”.

“Well first of all, I was walking so he didn’t pull me over, he just stopped me.” “Secondly I waved at him as he passed by.” “He just wanted me to know that he waved back.”

Her response was precious “Well he didn’t wave at me?” To which I replied “Maybe you should’ve waved first?”

As she jogged off, I thought. This must be a really difficult season to be a police officer. When was the last time you warmly greeted the blue, the brown, the red, the yellow, the white and yes the black? All of them wear the badge you know!

The systemic actions of the bad few has created this ominous poison for so many. Add our already subconscious bias about different races, religions cultures and doctor’s advice. And like the virus it will continue to expand until no one will trust anyone anymore. Who could foresee that wearing a mask to fight the pandemic would be so problematic?

So what’s the antidote you ask? Well it’s you! People may hear your words but they feel your attitude!

I reflected on recently shared stories about the long arm of the law. We all tend to remember all those bad experiences. I’m equally guilty, I have gotten only 4 traffic citations during my nearly half century stay here in Dallas/ Ft. Worth. All 4 of them by the way, were in Highland Park! All were DWB! Driving while Black!

Yet in that same time period time, the Dallas/Ft Worth area police officers should have written 4 traffic tickets that I did deserve!

They decided not to because I was going thru some really difficult times. You may have been there. Driving on auto-pilot and making minor traffic blunders and you get busted.

We don’t talk much about the police officer who showed you mercy. When you didn’t get what you deserved.

So today, will you write on my page a good thing that a police officer did for you! Remember people may hear your words but they feel your attitude!

For those of you who can’t remember one thing? Pretend they are your racist relatives. Everyone has at least one! You still love them even when you don’t agree.

To quote American author, political activist, lecturer Helen Keller, who was deaf and blind. “Believe, when you are most unhappy, that there is something for you to do in the world. So long as you can sweeten another’s pain, life is not in vain”. You can observe a lot by watching this lady who had a unique inner vision. Donut count us out.! It ain’t over until it’s over.