That normally means you're the president of the World Bank and you give your girlfriend a huge payrise. Or perhaps you're a Cabinet Minister who rushes through the passport application for your Brazilian lover.
But I've just found myself on Mrs Paperwork's bad side. A mate's just phoned me and asked me a favour. He needs me to work on Monday to help cover something that's cropped up at the last minute. And I said yes, because he's a good friend who needs my help. But also, if I'm honest, because I love doing my job and I'm passionate about doing it well.
This means that there's sometimes a conflict between home life and work life.
Being a copper's quite an odd job in some (actually, flippin' hundreds) ways. I used to work in an office and, if I was doing an 8am til 4pm shift, I knew that I'd be finishing work at, well, 4pm. Come what may I'd be walking to my car by five past. And if I was in the middle of something then I'd finish it the next day I was at work, regardless of whether that was after the weekend.
This job's different though, and I know from my own and from friend's experiences, that it can cause all sorts of dramas at home.
I've got an ex- who could never understand why, if I was due to finish at 5pm I'd sometimes have to arrest someone at 4.30. And then, obviously, be off late. Or why, because there's a big incident running, the Inspector can quite lawfully turn round and order you to stay on duty. Because she wasn't in the Police she couldn't get her head round why I didn't just turn round and tell them to stick it and go home.
The Police is more than a job. It's a way of life that gets under your skin and into your blood. And the nature of the job is that, sometimes, the unexpected happens and we don't get to go home on time. Sometimes we get phone calls at home telling us that we have to work tomorrow, when we'd arranged to go out for the day with the Other Half.
And I do, genuinely, understand what a pain in the arse it is for them. And I also understand why this is one of the biggest causes for Police officer's relationships to break down. The ex- I mentioned still now says that it's the Police that split us up. (I maintain it's the fact that she slept with someone else, but I suppose we'll have to agree to disagree).
But, I have to be honest here, I don't help matters because I admit I am really into my job. Even now, several years after I joined, it still sometimes hits me: "Wow, I'm a copper. Fantastic!" And because of this, still being honest, I know I say "yes" to maybe more than I should.
But I can't help it. I joined up to arrest villains and put them away. I mean, obviously I very rarely have the time to do that. There's paperwork needs doing first. But I've seen people get arrested on TV so I know it does happen.
If any of you reading this are thinking of starting a business can I make a suggestion? Open up a shop next to the local Police station and sell nothing except flowers, chocolates and "I'm sorry" cards. You'll make a fortune.
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1 comment:
Strnagely enough sleeping with someone else does generally lead to a relationship breakdown unless your a glutton for punishment of course!
Point is, why go out with someone if you can't accept or deal with their choice of career? It's part & parcel of them & who they are, an ex of mine was & still is a copper & yes, it was a pain if we'd planned something & he had to go into work or was called back into work in the middle of the night or had to work late, & yes I did get a bit annoyed because if you've made plans it's always disappointing if they don't go ahead. At the end of the day though I knew his job was important to him & there was no way Id have made him choose or given him earache for it, he always treated me well & after all said & done, nobody is perfect so you take the good with the bad, his job was a bit of the bad but the reason he is in the job is because of the person he is so the pro's far outweighed the cons. We split up but it wasn't because of his being a copper, still mates now so I can't have moaned that much! lol
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