View from the cop: Crime & punishment
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AJC.com > Metro > View from the cop > Archives > 2006 > July > 28
Friday, July 28, 2006
How to tell it’s time to go home
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
All of us have heard of those who have had an awakening of sorts that told them they’re on the wrong path and need to get it right. It happened to me once when I was a bit younger. I was in some nightclub dancing away when God appeared directly in front of me and said: “Steve, stop this blasphemous behavior!�
Me: “What? I’m not doing anything wrong. I work hard and I just want to enjoy myself for a few hours. I’m a good husband and father and I love America and—“
God: “No you idiot!! Stop dancing! You have no rhythm! You look like someone who was just partially run over—no, no, a chicken! Yes!! That’s it. You look like a chicken that just had his head cut off!!
Me: Okay God, I get it.
God: “C’mon Chicken-Boy! Dance!!
Me: “Check please.�
There are little hints that come to us during the course of our lives but we often fail to realize what they’re telling us. Most of us like to enjoy things in life and hopefully as we get older we get wiser. I do know that we get more tired which is actually good because it keeps us from doing silly and stupid and sometimes painful things.
I’ve spent some nights out, riding the beat and seeing how things are going late at night in Sandy Springs and I have noticed that some of you all are drinking way too much!
Alcohol affects people in different ways but they seem to go into a cycle as the night goes on while they continue to drink. First, they’re interesting, then funny, then not funny but they think they’re funny, then loud, then belligerent, then reflective, (“I love you man.�) then they speak in tongue, then they throw up, and finally urinate on themselves.
Most of us are in bed or at least home around 11 p.m. so we don’t really see those other people; the ones who start partying about the time Letterman is on No. 3 of the Top 10 list. Most of us have been there. We went there, found out it’s a brutal ride even once in a while, and then went back to the life of daytime humans. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with dabbling in the fast lane for a while but you need to know when the ride is over.
The party career is a young person’s game. It’s like a sport. You peak at about 23 and then you begin the down slide until you finally announce your retirement. This usually comes in the form of marriage.
