Please distribute to all Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS and Dispatch personnel – September 11, 2023

As always, I want to give another thank you to all who forward this message to your departments and staff. You trust me enough to share my message to others, and I strive to not make you regret that decision. To all my readers, I hope to improve your lives, at least in some small way. If you are reading this, then I think you might hope for that too. Trust me when I say, it isn’t something I take lightly.

Sometimes when I write these messages, I look back and see what I have shared before to avoid saying the same thing. Although there are some common things I say in each message, and the point may be the same, the journey is a little different.

As some of you may know, my first email like this was sent in November 2008, here’s a small clip:

I wanted to take this time to thank all of the police officers, paramedics, and fire fighters in my area. This came about on September 11. I called my local police dispatcher to ask if she could send a message to everyone working to let them know that a citizen of their city appreciated them and was grateful for their service. The dispatcher informed me that a request like that had not been made in her 14 years as a dispatcher. I decided that that day, no Police Officer, Paramedic, or Fire Fighter will ever serve, protect and defend through a holiday and not know that they are appreciated by someone.

As I write this, Patriot Day is less than two weeks away. It is a day or remembrance for what we lost in the attacks on 9/11. Just under 3000 people lost their lives that day. 343 firefighters, 71 officers, 8 private EMT’s and a K9 gave the “last full measure of devotion” that day and over 680 officers, firefighters and EMT’s since then due to some type of 9/11 related illness. We remember these days because of the impact they had on us. We remember the brave officers, firefighters and medics for running in that day as part of their “job” that became heroes for their sacrifice.

I truly never thought this message would be as far reaching as it has been. So if you’re reading this, just do Doc a favor: Let’s honor their sacrifice and become people. And, as always, thank you so much for who you are, and all you do. I’ve said it before and will say it again: You all are heroes. I don’t know how often you hear it, but I’m certain it’s not nearly enough.

Dr. Mike A. Crain I, D.Min.
Chaplain
Huber Heights, OH 45424
Blog: https://chaplainthoughts.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DoctorMichael

Please distribute to all Police personnel – Police Week 2023

First, I again want to say thank you to all the Chiefs, Sheriffs, Officers, Administrators, fire fighters, medics, dispatchers and fellow Chaplains from all kinds of places who have made it possible for me to distribute this message.

May 14-20, 2023 marks the period that we call “Police Week”.  In 1962, President Kennedy designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day, when we set aside a time of “Recognition of the service given by the men and women who, night and day, stand guard in our midst to protect us through enforcement of our laws”.

This is the period of the year where we talk about honor and integrity. Honoring those who came before us. Being people of honor. Teaching what honor is to our new recruits. Being people of honor and integrity at work, as well as away from work. You see the headlines as well as I do, and what happens when we fail to uphold that standard. One of my standard expressions when I leave work is “Stay off the news!” and part of that is living lives of honor. But what does that look like?

According to BetterUp (Not to be confused with “batter up” since its baseball season, Go Marlins!) Here are the 7 most common traits that a person with integrity shows:

1. Expressing gratitude for others
2. Valuing honesty and openness
3. Taking responsibility and accountability for your actions, good and bad
4. Respecting yourself and others around you no matter where you are
5. Helping those in need without sacrificing your own health
6. Demonstrating reliability and trustworthiness
7. Showing patience and flexibility, even when unexpected obstacles show up  ¹

Do we consistently exhibit those characteristics? How often do I express gratitude for others when they do something for me or others? Do I value honesty in my relationships, or in some areas am I cutting the corners? (I think we all have seen that that has a tendency to catch up with you…). Do I admit my mistakes or try to blame shift to others or “the system”? I’m sure you get the picture here and can go down this list and see how you measure up.  The philosopher Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” So I have to ask myself “Can I do better”, and I owe it to myself to try.

So let’s be people of integrity, and maybe we can stay off the news (except for you PIO’s out there, and I just hope you make the news the right way…)

Hopefully you can attend a memorial, or watch the candlelight vigil in Washington DC online ². I also want to send a quick kudos out to all those involved in planning the local, state and national memorials. I know how much effort that takes, so you guys are awesome!

Thank you to each person who has taken the time to read this. You are why I do what I do. Thank you for who you are, and all you do. Don’t forget that people DO care. If I can help in any way, don’t hesitate to contact me… I’ve said it before and will say it again, you all are heroes. I don’t know how often you hear it, but I’m certain it’s not nearly enough.

1. https://www.betterup.com/blog/integrity-in-the-workplace
2. https://nleomf.org/memorial/programs/national-police-week-2023/candlelight-vigil/

Dr. Mike A. Crain I, D.Min.
Chaplain
Huber Heights, OH 45424
Blog: https://chaplainthoughts.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DoctorMichael

Please distribute to all Police, Paramedic, Fire and Dispatch personnel – Merry Christmas 2022

First, I again want to say thank you to all the Chiefs, Sheriffs, Officers, Administrators, fire fighters, medics, dispatchers and fellow Chaplains from all kinds of places who have made it possible for me to distribute this message.

First, I again want to say thank you to all the Chiefs, Sheriffs, Officers, Administrators, fire fighters, medics, dispatchers and fellow Chaplains from all kinds of places who have made it possible for me to distribute this message.

This email marks fifteen years that I have written an email to responders for Christmas. I sometimes reflect on amazement the number of people that this reaches. Some of you are reading this are in Hawaii (and I may be a little jealous of that!) and some read this in Alaska and all kinds of places in between. Normally I have a crafted message to share to encourage and uplift us (I’m sure we all need it!)

But this email is a little different. As a Chaplain and minister, I speak to all kinds of people, who share different faiths, beliefs and experiences. Discussions about our mental health, however, is common to most, if not all beliefs. I just want to leave one thought with you this Christmas season. Many of us like to think it’s a message that does not apply to us, that is, until it does. We like to think “That’s for people who have been on the job for a while, and I’m young and just starting out, so I’m OK.” Or we have the “I’m older and I’ve seen a lot, that’s a concern for those young guys who have not build up a defense to it yet.” I would hope that we are beyond the times where mental health concerns are for the “weak” but again, all kinds of people see this email.

The holidays are supposed to be a time of joy with family and friends, but for some it is not, or it may not be this year. And if you find yourself in that place, I just ask that you talk to someone. If not for you (or people who love you) then do it for me. And you can even blame it on me if you like. “The only reason I’m doing this is because Doctor Crain said so.” I’ve been blamed for a lot of things (maybe justified….) so I can handle that too.

But our mental health starts with us admitting we are not always Teflon or Superman. So if you need a reason, take it as a Christmas present for me. But more so, for YOU. If you could be 10% happier now, would you do it? What if maybe you could sleep a little better? Or what if it would help you enjoy the gatherings around the holiday just a little bit more?

So it’s just a simple request this Holiday season. Take note of what you are doing and see if there are things that make you less happy than they used to. Then ask if it is because you carry a badge, a gun, a medic bag, or a headset, or could it be something else. And if it is, talk to someone you can trust, who can point you in the right direction. And check on each other. Especially the “strong and funny ones”. Robin Williams should remind us of that lesson.

A second request from me this Season: Find something you enjoy and do it. Take some time during this season to be refreshed. We all need that from time to tome too.

Your departments may have Employee Assistance Care, Chaplains, Chiefs, and any other Supervisor available for help. There is also other Clergy and/or even friends for guidance and assistance should you need it. Call us, grab us after roll call, or send an email. Reach out if you need to. I’ll make you a promise. If you think you have no one to turn to, send me an email and tell me when you are up (I totally get shift work!) and how you’d like to be contacted (text, email, call) and I will make time for you. I’ve seen good cops, fire fighters, and dispatchers quit (and worse) because they lost hope. There IS HOPE for you. Don’t become a statistic. So, go out and find happiness. Then share it.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and best wishes for 2023. My sincere hope is that it is better and happier for each one of you. I’ve said it before and will say it again, you all are heroes. I don’t know how often you hear it, but I’m certain it’s not nearly enough.

Dr. Mike A. Crain I, D.Min.Chaplain
Huber Heights, OH 45424
Blog: https://chaplainthoughts.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DoctorMichael

Please distribute to all Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS and Dispatch personnel – Thanksgiving 2022

As always, I want to give another thank you to all who forward this message to your departments and staff. You trust me enough to share my message to others, and I strive to not make you regret that decision. For each of my readers, than you for taking a brief minute with Doc today.

I’m writing this message on the first day of my weekend. It was a …week. I’m sure you can relate to those times. Not “good”, not “bad”, it just was. I’m sure you know the feeling. You’re tired. Fast food and coffee for the last three days. You get brief glimpses of your family. You dog barks AT you because he forgot who you were (OK, so maybe that one just FEELS that way). I get it because I was there last week, and I’m not going to lie to you, I probably didn’t handle it all that well.

IN one of my 2021 emails I had this to say: “I’ve decided that 2022 is what I get some of my life back.” and you know what, the last two months haven’t really went that way. I had good intentions, but the reality of it didn’t happen the way I expected, and if I were to make a guess, you can probably relate to that too.

As we finish out the year, how do we want to do that? I need to get myself out of my ruts and comfort zone. I think two things that I heard from my friend and Pastor Dr. Pat Murray is a way that we can do just that.

1) Intentionally give
2) Intentionally serve

It doesn’t have to be a lot. It doesn’t even have to be money. Maybe someone wants to trade shifts with you, but there really isn’t anything in it for you. So, do it anyway. You see the rookie struggling with all the commitments of the job and is hit for more overtime. You don’t have to help, but do it anyway. You see someone in a restaurant trying to find enough change in their pocket to finish paying for their lunch. No one else is watching, but do it anyway. That one officer wants to tell you the same story you’ve heard 5 times this week. You don’t want to hear it, but listen anyway. (And if you really feel adventurous, ask them to tell you MORE.)

I was told about a call from someone who struggled with mental health issues. He called and said “I got a new flag and when an officer has time I want them to come and see it. No hurry.” And my favorite part of the story is not only did they stop by, but the officer would write in his notes something to the effect of “Saw his new flag and sang ‘Proud To Be An American’ with Him.” You know, that officer had nothing to gain by doing that. There was no appearance on American Idol in his future. But he gave “Bill” a memory that will last him forever, and this guy a story that he wil talk about forever. (On a side note, make notes for your dispatcher sometimes. We love that stuff.)

Don’t be afraid to try different things if you want different results. And since its Thanksgiving, let me throw this in here: Be thankful for something. Share something good far more than you share something bad. It will help you in the long run.

I always add this last paragraph, especially for the holiday season. We all know that the holidays can be a time of sadness, anger, frustration, extra stress or depression. If you find yourself struggling in this holiday season, don’t hesitate to reach out for assistance. Your departments may have Employee Assistance Care, Chaplains, Chiefs, other supervisors, clergy and/or even friends for guidance and assistance should you need it. I’ll also available to help you (my contact information is at the bottom) in any way that I can. Call us, grab us after roll call, or send an email or a text. Reach out when you need to. Life is a battle, and it’s most successful when not faced alone.

Again, thank you so much for who you are, and all you do. I’ve said it before and will say it again: You all are heroes. I don’t know how often you hear it, but I’m certain it’s not nearly enough.

Please distribute to all Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS and Dispatch personnel – September 11, 2022

Distribution: Please distribute to all Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS and Dispatch personnel – September 11, 2022

As always, I want to give another thank you to all who forward this message to your departments and staff. You trust me enough to share my message to others, and I strive to not make you regret that decision. To all my readers, I hope to improve your lives, at least in some small way. If you are reading this, then I think you might hope for that too. Trust me when I say, it isn’t something I take lightly.

In this email I want to briefly talk about perspective. I had a friend recently post on social media the following:
Family discussion. In the kids song ‘Bingo,’ is the dog’s name or is the farmer’s name bingo? Discuss.
You know the song…”There was a man who had a dog and Bingo was his name-o”. (Bonus points if you read that WITHOUT singing it). Now, like a lot of questions on the internet, (Like “the dress” question in 2015)¹ the answer really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. It’s really about your perspective.

In public safety, a lot of our job has to do with perspective. You may see a call differently that someone else responding to the same call. Sometimes we call it “intuition”, but it has just as much to do with us as a person as it does the person we are going to assist sometimes. Maybe that’s because of an experience you’ve had. Maybe it’s because you’ve had training others may not have had. Maybe you treat it differently because your shift just handles those types of calls differently. Not right, or wrong necessarily; just different.

The problem occurs when our perspective makes us jaded or blind to what is going on. So how do we deal with things when our perspective may be off?

First, you have to know that something may be “off” with your perspective. We all have “blind spots” in our lives. So the critical thing here is to have someone who can tell you about your blind spots. Someone that you actually listen to. It may or may not be a supervisor/superior. It could be someone saying “Ummm…your attitude has changed a lot recently…”

Second, we can’t shut out said advice. Maybe their perspective is wrong. Ask someone else what they think. Be honest with yourself, “Could there be truth in what they said or think…maybe even a little bit.”

Third, recognize that there are times when we don’t think the clearest. One of my church groups uses the acronym HALT. ^{2 3}

Hungry
Angry
Lonely
Tired

During times where our feelings may be in one of those categories, our perspective may be affected negatively by how we feel. And, if you constantly find yourself in one of those categories, ask for some help. If you need to reach out, send me an email or a text and we’ll see what we can do to help.

This September 11th, take a minute.
Take a minute to rediscover your purpose. Take a minute to clear your mind and clarify your perspective. It will benefit you in the long run.
Then take a minute to find one name and send thoughts and prayers to the family. They live the reality of what happened every day, not just certain days.

As always, thank you so much for who you are, and all you do. I’ve said it before and will say it again: You all are heroes. I don’t know how often you hear it, but I’m certain it’s not nearly enough.

Sources
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_dress
2. https://www.cornerstoneofrecovery.com/halt-hungry-angry-lonely-tired
3. https://www.facebook.com/celebraterecovery/photos/a.336855045945/10157139546510946

Please distribute to all Law Enforcement, Paramedic and Fire personnel: Happy Fourth of July

First, I again wish to thank everyone who has made it possible for me to distribute this message. I cannot express my gratitude enough for your assistance.

July 4th (or as some of us like to call it “National Fireworks or Gunshots month”) is just around the corner. Sometimes the meaning of the holiday gets lost in the celebration of the holiday. Which is a lot like our lives from time to time; the meaning gets lost in the living.

Let me give you an example. I’m not a neat, “everything has a place” guy. Never have been, and likely never will be (much to the chagrin of my wife!) . So I went to my sock drawer yesterday to get out some socks and I saw they were almost all gone. How is that possible? Then I looked at the top of my closet and realized that I had not put away my laundry this week (yes , I know tragic.). So I had to put going hiking on hold to take care of my laundry.

Self-care is something that we often treat like laundry. We know we need to do it, but it doesn’t seem like a real priority…until it is. To steal a line from the old Magnum PI series, “I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right.” I have talked about this before. But let’s face it, some people in our line of work are bad at this, and sometimes we all are. So I’m going to give you some ideas and give you some sources to more that you might be able apply to your life.

1. Take care of some physical needs. (Yes, those) Maybe go see your doctor. Get your physical. Have that tooth taken care of. Find out why your back hurts. Change your diet. Take your vitamins. I know these aren’t fun, but if you don’t take care of you, who is going to do that?
2. Find something funny each day. Sometimes laughter is in fact the best medicine. While working a radio channel I had an officer say his car was signal 50 (for those who don’t know, it means there is something wrong with it). So after confirming his location and getting the details for the tow he paused and said , “And there is no hold on the vehicle.” I’m not going to lie, that was the hardest I laughed all day.
   
   I had a second officer looking for a loose horse. Upon being unable to locate the animal, he advised “Dispatch, the search was completed with neigh…gitive results”. (So maybe I’m easily amused, but I’m sure you already figured that out.)
3. Get Enough Sleep. I hear you now “Easier said than done. I’m working 16 hour days…” Well do the best with what you have. And if you’re having trouble, find out why. We all have that person who is an expert on things like sleep supplements and black out curtains. Get a noise machine and fall asleep with a running brook or thunderstorm.
4. Say “No” to stuff. I like to make people happy, so I can tend to over-commit. If you do too, work on thinning out your commitments and priorities. Some things just have to be let go of.
5. Accept an offer of help. Turning down help can become an automatic reaction, even if we crave support. The next time someone offers their assistance, even in something small, surprise yourself by saying yes.
6. Outsource something. Make a call or book a service appointment online for help with a task you dread, like cleaning or lawn care. Use the newfound time as you please.

So there are a few ideas, and I’ll post some links below ₁. So this fourth (or whenever you can celebrate if you are working that day), take some time and celebrate and enjoy your freedom. Spend time with family and friends. Take time to remember a partner that is no longer here. Eat somewhere besides fast food or 2 day old cold lunches. Remember a citizen or two that you made a difference for. Do a good deed for someone. Go somewhere and get a pat on the back. These are some of the things that make us human. And lets follow the advice from Sergeant Phil Esterhaus (Michael Conrad) from Hill Street Blues, “Let’s be careful out there. “ ₂

My email and number is below and if you need to share something that you don’t feel you can tell anyone, I’ll get back with you, and everything is held in the strictest confidence. I’ve said it before and will say it until I take my last breath; you all are heroes. I don’t know how often you hear it, but I’m certain it’s not nearly enough. Thank you for all that you do. I wish a happy Fourth of July to each and every one of you.

Dr. Mike A. Crain I, D.Min.
Chaplain
Huber Heights, OH 45424
Blog: https://chaplainthoughts.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DoctorMichael

1. https://www.betterup.com/blog/self-care-practices
   https://www.realsimple.com/health/mind-mood/emotional-health/self-care-tips
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmg86CRBBtw

Please disseminate to all law enforcement: Police Week 2022

First, I again want to say thank you to all the Chiefs, Sheriffs, Officers, Administrators, and fellow Chaplains who have made it possible for me to distribute this message.

This year May 15-21, 2022 marks the period that we call “Police Week”.  In 1962, President Kennedy designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day, when we set aside a time of “Recognition of the service given by the men and women who, night and day, stand guard in our midst to protect us through enforcement of our laws”. There will be events across our nation this month during this time. And as someone on a local committee for a memorial, I encourage you to go to one.

During this week, one of the things that we ask (either directly or indirectly) involves honor. How do we honor those from our departments that came before us? Leading up to this week we talk about events, and ceremonies, and maybe even a little bit about how we lives our lives and the legacy we leave. Some of those things I have talked about over the years in these emails and my blog ¹.

Those types of things is not likely things we think about on a daily basis. Aesop, Augustine and others have taught us in some form or fashion that “familiarity breeds contempt.” There are times when it comes to our job that we can relate to that. It becomes mundane; we become the guy in the 80’s commercial (yes, I’m that old) who stumbled out the door with a sigh “It’s time to make the doughnuts. ” It becomes a thing that we have to do, and may in some cases be something we wish we didn’t have to do.

But on the flip side, familiarity doesn’t always breed contempt. For example, that chair you have have had forever that is comfortable but barely holding it together. Here familiarity breeds comfort instead of contempt (although our spouses may have a share of contempt…) Or consider that softball jersey we have from our “glory days”. Maybe it’s 2 sizes to small now and we are past our “prime” (or maybe in some of our cases our “prime” never arrived…) but we still hold on to it because it is familiar and reminds us of good times or good memories.

So what is the difference? Well even experts can’t really come to a consensus. (That’s comforting!) ^{2 3 4} I think it has more to do with complacency than it does familiarity. Whether or not a thing is familiar maybe has less to do with our contempt than our attitude does toward it. So if we begin to change our attitude toward something, it becomes less contemptuous. ⁵ So at the end of the day, “familiarity breeds contempt” is much like we learned in the hit psychological movie Pirates of the Caribbean about “parley”; maybe it’s “more of what you call guides than actual rules” ⁶.

Thanks for spending a few minutes with me. This message is being read by departments of all shapes, sizes, types and locations. For all my law enforcement family reading this, I’m praying for an especially peaceful and safe week for you: safe citizen encounters, safe traffic stops, safe building searches, and safe DV calls. I pray for a time of healing for the departments reading this who have had a loss in the last year, or with a loss that continues to hurt.  But most of all (like I say most every year), I hope now more than ever, there is an outpouring of appreciation from the communities that you serve.

Thank you to each person who has taken the time to read this. You are why I do what I do. Thank you for who you are, and all you do. Don’t forget that people DO care. If I can help in any way, don’t hesitate to contact me.

I’ve said it before and will say it for the remainder of my days. You all are heroes. I don’t know how often you hear it, but I’m certain it’s not nearly enough.

Sources

1. https://chaplainthoughts.wordpress.com/
2. https://www.spring.org.uk/2021/06/familiarity-breeds-contempt.php
3. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shift-mind/201010/does-familiarity-breed-contempt
4. https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/the-illusion-of/9781631574580/chapter9.xhtml
5. https://chaplainthoughts.wordpress.com/2020/09/01/please-distribute-to-all-law-enforcement-fire-ems-and-dispatch-personnel-september-11-2020/
6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJVBvvS57j0

Please distribute to all Police, Paramedic, Fire and Dispatch personnel – Merry Christmas 2021

First, I again want to say thank you to all the Chiefs, Sheriffs, Officers, Administrators, fire fighters, medics, dispatchers and fellow Chaplains from all kinds of places who have made it possible for me to distribute this message.

First, I again want to say thank you to all the Chiefs, Sheriffs, Officers, Administrators, fire fighters, medics, dispatchers and fellow Chaplains from all kinds of places who have made it possible for me to distribute this message.

Depending on who you ask, the Christmas season begins with the first snow fall (sorry, you folks in Hawaii would be totally left out!), the first “cold day” (whatever that means in your area), the end of Thanksgiving or the first of December. Although department stores start setting out Christmas items in August, I don’t think that your local Walmart is the best gage of when the season arrives. Regardless, I wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. For those of you in stations or cars or behind the microphone working during the holidays, we appreciate the sacrifices you and your family are making while ensuring our safety and security. It does not go unappreciated or unnoticed.

In all seriousness though, as I sit to write this email, there are a lot of my readers who will have heavier hearts than normal. My home state of Kentucky (as well as Arkansas and other areas too) was slammed by a huge tornado. Some of my local readers are planning a funeral for an officer whose death has left them broken-hearted. A few weeks prior a local Sheriff (who helped get me started in this, and arranged a TV interview) passed away suddenly while out of town for training.

In our lines of work, if we could have a dollar for the amount of times we had hoped an outcome would improve or a bad diagnosis would be wrong, or that call you know deep inside is a dead body turn out to be someone over-exaggerating, we all could retire today. So let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Grief and loss are part of the human experience, and it doesn’t pause over the holidays.

The holidays can be especially hard for us when a chair at our table is empty. Or maybe we don’t feel we have any place to pull up a chair to. At times like this we wish we all had easy answers. But easy answers are getting harder and harder to come by. While grief is part of the human experience, it doesn’t have to be an unending visitor. There are many things we can do to minimize its impact and how to experience healing and get our joy back. While I was doing a little research I found this article (https://www.helpguide.org/articles/grief/coping-with-grief-and-loss.htm), so I’ll let you read it when you have some time. It does have some deep and technical stuff (and even that emotional “touchy feely” stuff a lot of us like to turn off) but it’s pretty good.

For those of you who know me, you know that I’m into quotes and “one-liners”. One that I heard from Criminal Minds back in the day was one from Joseph Campbell “Find a place inside where there’s joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.” So in addition to the homework above, set aside some time and not only remember what brings happiness to you, but DO IT. My sweet wife likes birds and photography, and sometimes we will be out for hours (or drive for hours) to see unique birds during migration. Maybe that’s not your thing. FIND WHAT IS and DO IT. Try new things or new places, or go back to those things we know brought us joy. I know Yoda tells us “Try not! Do… or do not. There is no try”, but sometimes you have to find what works for you. Find other people who like to do it. For example, I have discovered that there are all kinds of folks who get together and share eagle pictures, hiking trips, favorite puns (AWESOME!) or create their own baseball cards (Someone sat down once and said “It’s a shame that 1962 Topps did not have a Maury Wills, so I’ll make one. Only to find out that there were others who did the same thing. I know, NERD ALERT). But find joy, and share it.

During the holidays, I always put in this information, because I know that someone may need it. It can be hard to balance out what we have to deal with and still know that there are great people in society as well. I also know that it’s hard for us to reach out sometimes (and believe me, I’m no exception to this rule). If you find yourself struggling in this holiday season, don’t hesitate to reach out for assistance. Your departments may have Employee Assistance Care, Chaplains, Chiefs, and any other Supervisor available for help. There is also other Clergy and/or even friends for guidance and assistance should you need it. Call us, grab us after roll call, or send an email. Reach out if you need to. I’ll make you a promise. If you think you have no one to turn to, send me an email and tell me when you are up (I totally get shift work!) and how you’d like to be contacted (text, email, call) and I will make time for you. I’ve seen good cops, fire fighters, and dispatchers quit (and worse) because they lost hope. There IS HOPE for you. Don’t become a statistic.

So, go out and find happiness. Then share it. Even send me your favorite one-liner.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and best wishes for 2022. I’ve said it before and will say it again, you all are heroes. I don’t know how often you hear it, but I’m certain it’s not nearly enough.

Dr. Mike A. Crain I, D.Min.Chaplain
Huber Heights, OH 45424
Blog: https://chaplainthoughts.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DoctorMichael

Please distribute to all Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS and Dispatch personnel – Thanksgiving 2021

As always, I want to give another thank you to all who forward this message to your departments and staff. You trust me enough to share my message to others, and I strive to not make you regret that decision.

As I sit and write this message today, I’m looking out my window into the 30 degree weather and see an old enemy. It’s a four-letter word that some of us fear…S-N-O-W. In fact, if I spell it and not say it, maybe it goes away to never to return. But alas, I live in Ohio and I won’t be so fortunate.

Then I sit and let my mind wander (and for me that might be a little dangerous!). I’ve been in dispatch for over 5 years. And while it’s been since I was a kid that I liked snow at all, it seems “the job” has led me to hate it. Now it’s not the snow so much I hate, but what it causes. All those people who think they can still speed down wet roads that end up in the ditch (or worse). Or the fact that it takes more than twice as long to get home after my shift. But today I’m off. No calls for me. And it makes me ask the question of myself: What else has the job “taken” from me. It’s not all bad. No more leaving doors unlocked. No more thinking the “average” person (whatever that is) is a competent driver. The fun for “staying up late” is gone when it’s because it’s my “normal” work schedule. I find myself being suspicious of almost everyone. It may be good for safety and situational awareness, but much harder on the soul.

Some of you can go ahead and roll your eyes. But in some ways you used to feel some of the same feelings. Today however, it’s almost second nature. Understand, I know that some of you have it far worse. Some of you can’t sleep without medication and nightmares. Some of you can’t go to certain places or hear certain things without reliving part of one of the worst days of your life.

I’ve decided that 2022 is what I get some of my life back. No, I’m not going to leave my doors unlocked. But I’m going to stop blaming things on “the job” and do what I need to do to get healthier and find some of that optimism that I lost somewhere. I might find that guy that always smiles and ask him why. I might pick up a book of good puns and use some (I mean, every good pun is its own re-word). Maybe you can too. What has it taken from you, and what to you want to get back in 2022? Maybe it’s a health goal or a relational goal. Do it.

I always add this last paragraph, especially for the holiday season. We all know that the holidays can be a time of sadness, anger, frustration, extra stress or depression. If you find yourself struggling in this holiday season, don’t hesitate to reach out for assistance. Your departments may have Employee Assistance Care, Chaplains, Chiefs, other supervisors, clergy and/or even friends for guidance and assistance should you need it. I’ll also available to help you (my contact information is at the bottom) in any way that I can. Call us, grab us after roll call, or send an email or a text. Reach out when you need to. Life is a battle, and it’s most successful when not faced alone.

Again, thank you so much for who you are, and all you do. I’ve said it before and will say it again: You all are heroes. I don’t know how often you hear it, but I’m certain it’s not nearly enough.

Please distribute to all Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS and Dispatch personnel – September 11, 2021

Distribution: Please distribute to all Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS and Dispatch personnel – September 11, 2021

As always, I want to give another thank you to all who forward this message to your departments and staff. You trust me enough to share my message to others, and I strive to not make you regret that decision. To all my readers, I hope to improve your lives, at least in some small way. If you are reading this, then I think you might hope for that too. Trust me when I say, it isn’t something I take lightly.

I can’t come to a September 11th without thinking about Christopher Amoroso. Most of you probably know who this is, some of you may not. Officer Amoroso was an officer with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department. Officer Amoroso went back into the Trade Center not once, not twice, not three times, but FOUR times, knowing the building was unstable. He gave his life trying to help others on one of the darkest days in our county. I know his name and his story because I attended Lt Col Dave Grossman’s training on the Bulletproof Mind. (Side note: this may be one of the most beneficial trainings I have attended in 13 years, maybe in my life.) This man was a giant of a person, a true and authentic HERO.

What makes a person do that? What makes a person run into certain death for people they don’t even know? Col. Grossman has his answer, and if you’ve listened to him, you know what that is (and if you have not I won’t spoil it for you). But I also have a thought to add and that’s this: Because we live it every day. We don’t stop because it’s raining or snowing outside. We don’t go to the beach because it’s too hot to work. We miss family events, holidays, etc. to go in. We get yelled at , threatened, and assaulted, and we come back for more. When people threaten us “I’ll have your job”, we think “good luck with that” and move on.

We keep doing it because something on the inside of us drives us. It’s more than the money and fame (Thank goodness!!!). And since you’re reading this, that reason is still there, no matter how much shenanigans, trauma, sadness and frustration that life has offered us.

So this September 11th, take a minute to remember. Take a minute to find one name and send thoughts and prayers to the family. They live the reality every day, not just certain days. Then take a minute to rediscover your purpose. It will benefit you in the long run.

As always, thank you so much for who you are, and all you do. I’ve said it before and will say it again: You all are heroes. I don’t know how often you hear it, but I’m certain it’s not nearly enough.

Dr. Mike A. Crain I, D.Min.
Chaplain
Huber Heights, OH 45424
Blog: https://chaplainthoughts.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DoctorMichael