when it's bigger than a badge..

I had a nice long chat with a reporter today talking about the tragic end to one of our finest. The news broke as I was getting up and tuning into Breakfast Television. A cop killed while doing a routine traffic stop. Sad. But this hit closer to home. It happened not even a half hour away from my place. And he was my age. He would've celebrated this coming Monday. I celebrate on the 14th. Only 10 days my elder. The reporter came knocking this afternoon asking me what the area residents thought of the news. I told them how I felt. How Canadians have become selfish products on the roadways. How parents should have had those kids locked up in their bedroom instead of joyriding at 5am on a school night. How a 33 year old man with a newborn at home is not someone who should be taken away from his family so early. So young. I sat outside most of the day, writing and thinking about how this world could be so crazy at times, while firetrucks, ambulances, TV crews, and officers huddled by cop headquarters for the 2pm Press Conference.

I'm not the biggest cop advocate. I also don't agree with the Eff the Police mentality many might have. Today it was bigger than the regular folk versus the cops. It was a man that was my age, dying while doing his job. A man with a young family at home. A man who grew up in my town. A man who served a community I lived in. But more than that, he was just a guy doing what was in his blood. Today, I felt for his family. A family I have never met before. I felt for his friends. Comrades, I have never met before. But I felt it was right to spend some of the day being thankful for life and the people I have around me who are still here. I felt it was right to appreciate what I have and also feel for the family and friends of the stricken solder. I prayed and sent some good energy to Styles young one at home, not really grasping the fact that Daddy isn't coming home tonight.

I crossed the enemy lines today and gave my heartfelt condolences to people who lost someone they loved. It was bigger than good and evil. Right and wrong. It was a human being loosing his life way too soon. A human being that could've easily been one of us.

To the Styles family, Strength will guide you through and know your husband, father, brother, son, cousin will be always looking down on you.

Rest in Paradise.