This past week our
family
moved from 4S Ranch to the Del Sur Community. We are always up for a
new adventure. While loading up the moving van, Theresa asked me where
we should hang the below painting in our home. A painting I bought when
I was single, attending a Spanish language school in Costa Rica. I
enjoyed the school but the surfing, the food, and living with a local
family made it a really cool experience.
I surprised myself when I bought the painting from a local vendor at a sidewalk shop. I still recall standing in the driving rain as I reached into the pocket of my swimsuit to retrieve some American green backs to pay the artist. He was so happy, it was money from Uncle Sam. It reminded me once again how fortunate we are to be from this great country.
Theresa looked at me a bit cross-eyed when I announced I was going to give the Costa Rica
painting
to AMVETS, along with a mountain of other "stuff" we had gathered over
the years. As her gaze lingered, I knew she was wondering why I was
giving away the painting. A painting I enjoyed so much and had a custom
frame built for it.
Her reaction got me wondering why I do that; most people do not cast away material things they are very fond of. I realized, for whatever reason, I tend to look forward. I really don't look to the rear or to the sides of life very often.
I believe some of my perspective is due to how I was raised, but I think a bigger impact was from working emergency services for so long. Long, before I became a real estate broker, I had the job that is referred to in police talk as, "pushing a beat car." The heat, five-o, fuzz, a host of names, all of which pertain to the same profession, law enforcement.
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| Good Move Bernardo Moving! |
I surprised myself when I bought the painting from a local vendor at a sidewalk shop. I still recall standing in the driving rain as I reached into the pocket of my swimsuit to retrieve some American green backs to pay the artist. He was so happy, it was money from Uncle Sam. It reminded me once again how fortunate we are to be from this great country.
Theresa looked at me a bit cross-eyed when I announced I was going to give the Costa Rica
 |
| Costa Rica Painting |
Her reaction got me wondering why I do that; most people do not cast away material things they are very fond of. I realized, for whatever reason, I tend to look forward. I really don't look to the rear or to the sides of life very often.
I believe some of my perspective is due to how I was raised, but I think a bigger impact was from working emergency services for so long. Long, before I became a real estate broker, I had the job that is referred to in police talk as, "pushing a beat car." The heat, five-o, fuzz, a host of names, all of which pertain to the same profession, law enforcement.
In
police work everyday is different. I cannot recall a day on the force I
did not have a hearty laugh at least once in the shift. On the flip
side, there were days or nights when I was a rookie that after hanging
my gunbelt in my locker, I reflected extensively on how I had handled
each tactical problem.
I found myself looking back a whole lot. Then one sunny, July morning
several vicious homicides occurred and I couldn't put the incident
behind me. I kept thinking, if only I had approached the business from
the south instead of the west, I could have saved the victims. A few
weeks later another critical incident occurred that could have gone
better, and there would soon be others. All were instances where I
desperately wanted to re-write history.
I felt like I was Maverick in Top Gun. Loosing Goose had rattled my cage and I was all screwed up. Life wasn't fair. If God exists, why does he let these awful things happen? Viper should have pulled me aside and said, "Let it go Mav, I mean Ray. You need to move on." I soon learned.
I learned after one shift in the field you are back in the blue uniform wearing that gold badge in about fourteen hours or less. If you cannot focus on the here and now you are of no use to anyone. You cannot keep looking back. It will drive you crazy and it will put your fellow officers and the public at risk.
I found myself looking back a whole lot. Then one sunny, July morning
several vicious homicides occurred and I couldn't put the incident
behind me. I kept thinking, if only I had approached the business from
the south instead of the west, I could have saved the victims. A few
weeks later another critical incident occurred that could have gone
better, and there would soon be others. All were instances where I
desperately wanted to re-write history.I felt like I was Maverick in Top Gun. Loosing Goose had rattled my cage and I was all screwed up. Life wasn't fair. If God exists, why does he let these awful things happen? Viper should have pulled me aside and said, "Let it go Mav, I mean Ray. You need to move on." I soon learned.
I learned after one shift in the field you are back in the blue uniform wearing that gold badge in about fourteen hours or less. If you cannot focus on the here and now you are of no use to anyone. You cannot keep looking back. It will drive you crazy and it will put your fellow officers and the public at risk.
I am
positive that the desire to change the past occurs to people in all
professions and their personal lives. It may be a messed up prior
marriage, a financial problem, a relationship with a family member or a
parent, or maybe you just said the wrong thing and hurt someone's
feelings you really care about. I humbly suggest we look forward and if
you think you can mend it with a phone call or note, go for it. Now is
the time.
If it is like so many other things in life that you cannot change, then let it go. I still haven't let some things go, but I'm a work in progress. Looking forward just works better for me.
I also need to realize that turning the page on both the good and bad things in life is not really the right solution either. Maybe I should keep that old painting that was bought during that warm summer rain, so many years ago. It really was a great time and the glance in my review mirror does mean I am taking my eyes off the road in front of me or how beautiful the architecture is in Del Sur
If it is like so many other things in life that you cannot change, then let it go. I still haven't let some things go, but I'm a work in progress. Looking forward just works better for me.
I also need to realize that turning the page on both the good and bad things in life is not really the right solution either. Maybe I should keep that old painting that was bought during that warm summer rain, so many years ago. It really was a great time and the glance in my review mirror does mean I am taking my eyes off the road in front of me or how beautiful the architecture is in Del Sur
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| Del Sur Morning |
I better follow my own advice before the AMVET truck gets here. Like I said, a work in progress.
Have a good week. The weather should be sunny and warm!
Ray & Theresa Shay
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