Police Incidents Time Line
I had to write this down and out of my body. I foolishly thought it was lost in the muck, until this week’s surprise dredged it up again. I thank you for listening and again, my apologies for not reading in return, unless i pay for membership, which bugs me, sorry. I do care, it’s not that.
Childhood: as my father was beating the stuffing out of my mother and brother, relentlessly, no cops were ever called but should have been. They all knew my folks, drinking buddies, got your back jack.
Recently: Next town over, public sidewalk, taking pictures of a stand of Birch, car down the road somewhere, officer walks up and asks what I’m doing in there, (camera around my neck, I want to say something very pithy but stop myself, thank heavens). “I’m photographing these trees.” “Why?” he says (again, my restraint here is admirable because, historically, I let it fly and then think). “Because they’re beautiful.” “Let me see your license.” “But I’m not driving!” I say, incredulous. I am not disposing of anything unsavory in the woods, why am I being, ur, whatever you’d like to call it? Harassed? Am I BOTHERING anyone?
The preschool I worked at, money stolen, I was feeding rabbit so I was there, though never had a key to the office where said money was kept but alas, I was a suspect. Sent to station for questioning and the whatever superior title the man responsible for my inquisition holds, Lieutenant? couldn’t have been nastier. He clearly didn’t believe I was feeding the rabbit, and, pushed into a corner, hard, I became frozen. “You’re going to have to take a lie detector test you know.” (palpitations at the sentence, how will I pass an actual test?) “I didn’t take the money,” I maintain. Turns out I didn’t take the money and was ‘vindicated’. Turns out I never should have been a suspect, since the director loved me like a sister. Turns out I didn’t want to work there any longer. It’s healed, but it was an unnecessary trauma. And it’s forgiven but not forgotten, which my aunt Leora told me is impossible but she was wrong.
Next door neighbor: 5 times police were here for utter nonsense, always took her side, even if she damaged property in a snit fit, told me to be nice, ignore her, blah, blah, blah. I went to court and filed papers for an harassment order. After waiting long enough to build a new house the judge said no one is harassing anyone.
Next town over, this very week: Officer states, “This is private property you cannot park here. You need permission.” “Ok, who owns it?” “Um, I don’t know.”
Thanks for listening. That’s enough for now. If I didn’t have words, I’d go combustible
