I Played The Game & After A While I Gave Up On Filling Out Another 60+ Application To Make $27,000 Per Year At Best In 2002. I was #1 On Beachwood’s List For 2 Years & They Didn’t Even Hire any new hires in that time! Every Department’s M.O. At The Time Was To Bring In Those Shore Town Class 1 and 2 Officers Rather Than Spend The Taxpayer’s Dime To Send Someone To The Academy, Even A Qualified Veteran. Look at the Department since 2002 and count the amount of Sons. Relatives or Political Hires. Some have even assisted in the production of Porn Films. But I Digress.
Full Disclosure – In 1995, I was owed a gambling debt from a coworker and the person refused to pay me so I used his Credit Card to get the $200 he owed me. Long Story Short – It was the Worst yet Best Dumb Decision I ever made. Although I completed PTI and the charges were dropped – It came up in every interview I ever had and I tried to own it, however I became an “easy drop” given the hundreds of others with clean backgrounds who were going for the same positions.
I’ve told kids ever since, “All things in life have consequences, Choose Wisely!” 26 Years Later, people still like to hold my poor judgement as an 18 year old over my head. What’s next? My High School Detention Record? It was my first lesson that a poor decision as a teenager can impact your entire life. Kids need to be reminded of this by their Parents and Teachers. Rather than dwell in misery – I persevered. Kids need to be reminded that it’s not about how hard you fall, but how fast you pick yourself up and correct course. Some need more direction than others. Anyway, I’m not perfect – But I also don’t deny the things I’ve done wrong in my life. Life Goes On.
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