How It All Began

My interest in criminal justice began years ago, when I was a little kid. I was about 8 years old. My family and I were driving down the road in our old VW. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful Sunday as we were on our way to church. As we got closer to an intersection, I noticed a blur coming across the road from our right. My dad stepped on the brakes hard and I saw that the object was another car. We started to skid to a stop, but it was too late!

The impact, as we slammed into the side of the other car, sent me flying forward into the back of the driver seat. My mom's head went into the windshield, but she was alright, other than bleeding from a gash in her forehead. My sister, who was sitting beside me in the back seat, was also alright. My dad had hurt his knee. But, my baby sister, only a few months old, who was being held in Mom's lap, wasn't breathing! It was a miracle that she began breathing again a short time later.

An ambulance arrived at the scene, and along with some other people who had stopped to help and comfort us, a California Highway Patrol officer arrived. My mom and baby sister were taken away in the ambulance. A concerned bystander gave me and the other members of my family a ride to the hospital. It was there that my desire to become involved in law enforcement was born.

As I was waiting while my mom, baby sister, and dad were being treated, the patrolman sat with me and let me wear his hat. I don't remember much else, but I know at that time I felt safe and I admired this man in uniform. From that time on, I wanted to be like him. That is where it all began for me.

My journey in the realm of criminal justice has been a long and winding one, with many twists and turns. In the posts that follow, I will write about that journey and where it has led me.