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Speak As If Your Next Word Will Be Your Last & Family Stories

Inspiration Prompt – Speak As Your Next Word Will Be Your Last

November 16th, 2009 by Avital

[Photo by: Andrew Storms]

Charles de Lint had suggested an interesting notion:

“Here’s a weird thought: What if everyone only has so many words inside of them? Then sooner or later you’d run out of words, wouldn’t you? And you’d never know when it was going to happen because everybody would have a different allotment, it would be different for everyone – the way hair colour varies, or fingerprints. I could be in the middle of a story, and then run out of words, and it’d never be finished.”

Play with this idea, what if your next word will by your last?

What if you only manage to insult but not to ask for forgiveness?
What if you only manage to receive but not to give thanks?
What if you only manage to think of an idea but not to share out loud?
What if you only manage to remember but not to tell?

“These are thought provoking questions but I will never overextend my word-quota”, you may think.

Well, think again.

Let me share a story with you.

A story about an independent woman who had survived major hardships in her life but kept moving forward. Had started a new family after her fiance perished in the holocaust. Had built a successful business. Had always made sure her hair is flawless, her lipstick is meticulously applied and her suit is perfectly ironed. Always a suit, even on a trip to the supermarket or when picking up her granddaughter from kindergarten.

This woman had a million stories to tell. Every day, at lunch time, after picking up her granddaughter and making sure she clears up her plate, she would open the big sofa bed in the guest room and tell her stories. Such wonderful stories. Books she had read. Adventures she had gone through and her granddaughter would listen with glistening eyes, asking: “please, grandma, tell me one more story”, and she did.

The years had passed and the granddaughter grew up. She didn’t need a babysitter anymore and forgot all the stories that had been told before and abandoned the stories that has not yet been told.

One day, in the spring time, the woman came by to visit her granddaughter and brought her some sweets. The granddaughter enjoyed the break and the sweets but quickly said her goodbyes, as she was busy studying for her finals.

An hour later the woman came back. Sweets in her pocket and the granddaughter thanked her and said goodbye again.

An hour later and she came back again. Sweets in her pocket again and the granddaughter started to worry and to understand.

Not long afterward Alzheimer disease was diagnosed.

Soon after that all the stories has been forgotten and lost forever.

The hasty granddaughter, if you haven’t realized by now – is me!

The word quota may be over extended and if it happens, it will take you by surprise.

So make sure you tell all the stories (and write them down). Articulate your idea in words and don’t shy away. Verbalize your gratitude. Speak with a positive note and always start with the compliment before moving on to a constructive criticism. Speak as your next word will be your last.

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Please share your thoughts about the idea of a finite word quota and leave a comment on this post. I love to hear your mental voice and to keep the discussion going whenever it’s possible.

via creativityprompt.com

I frequently think about why I am writing. I came across the above post and it spoke to me. The post seems to be talking about two concepts. The concept of speak as if your next word will be your last sounds like "if you can't say something nice, do not say anything at all." I see that as an extension of the Golden Rule, treat others like you want to be treated. That is a concept that I wish I had embraced while I was growing up, especially in high school. As a father, I am constantly reminding A to treat his friends and his sister like he wants to be treated. This world would be a much better place if we all put this into practice.

Don't worry, I am not going to break out into a rendition of Kumbaya.

I really appreciate the second concept from the post. One of the driving factors to my writing is to have a written record of my stories. Unlike my wife, I am not blessed with a great memory. I have to write/type things or I will not remember them. By writing, I have a record of what was going on in my life and the lives of those around me. I would like to encourage those who read this to write down their stories as well. I would really like to have a central depository of Sumner/Smith/Culbertson/McAllister stories. It bothers me that I do not really know very much about my Grandparents, let alone those that came before them. I need to make more of an effort to learn, and then to write it down, otherwise it will vanish again. So, write down your families story, and then share it with those whom you love.

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New rookie and a Meth robbery

Tonight was day one of evaluation with Jocelyn. So far she is doing fine. She is nervous and shows it in the same way as Adrian. Speed. Like 50 in a 30 type speed, which is fine if I am driving. Before I let them drive, I gave both rookies the same speech, I am a bad passenger and prone to getting car sick. Please drive slowly and obey all traffic laws. The thing is, I think that Jocelyn is actually trying to drive slowly and smoothly. Oh well, she gets an A for effort at least.
We volunteered to run a robbery call out in 50's beat, close to Newcastle and US 59. We arrived to find the complainant (victim) trying to climb over a fence and onto the patio of his apartment. Jocelyn stopped him and asked him what happened tonight. I will call him Roy and here is his version of the events. Roy and a "friend," they had known each other for three days, ate dinner at La Mexicana. Then they got into Roy's Infiniti and started driving around the Montrose area. Roy said that they ended up at a CVS. When Roy stopped the car, the friend punched him in the face and told him to leave the keys and to get out of the vehicle. Roy, in fear for his life, complied. The friend then drove off in Roy's vehicle. Roy was worried that since the friend knew where Roy lived, the friend would drive to his apartment and steal Roy's "priceless antiques". You see, Roy is an antique's dealer that also happens to be a narcotics informant for DPS. So, Roy called another friend who picked him up and drove him home where we found him.

While we were talking to Roy, another friend called him. This friend said that he was following Roy's vehicle in the Montrose area. I took Roy's phone and spoke with the friend. I asked the friend to describe the vehicle and to tell me where they were turning. Once I was able to make sure that the friend was following the correct vehicle and giving me good directions, I got on the radio and asked for other officers to look for the vehicle. I continued relaying the directions from the friend until officers were able to find the vehicle. The suspect jumped out of the vehicle and tried to run. He was not successful. Officers took him into custody. Jocelyn and I then took Roy to where his vehicle was located. After arriving, I spoke with the suspect. I will call him Dave and this is his version of the story. Dave said that he was a "hustler" and that he provided "services" for money. He met Roy a few days ago and they had seen each other every day since. Roy gave Dave money and Dave did things to and for Roy. After dinner, Dave shot up with methamphetamine. Roy drove to an adult bookstore and they went inside. Once inside, Dave started feeling weird and asked Roy for the keys. Roy gave him the keys and then Dave drove off in Roy's Infiniti.

We often get different versions of the same story from those involved. The truth is usually somewhere in the middle. We have to decide which parts of everyone's story to believe. In this case, Dave ended up getting charged with robbery. Roy had a small cut on his lip from where Roy said Dave had hit him and Dave admitted to taking Roy's Infiniti. That fits the classic definition of robbery, taking someone's stuff by force. It would not surprise me if Roy provides the money to get Dave out of jail. Roy appeared upset that his new "friend" was going to jail. Now he will have to find another "friend." Unfortunately, there is not a shortage of those willing to take care of Roy's "needs" for a few dollars.

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Craig sex and How old do I look?

Adrian finished evaluating last Saturday. I was supposed to start evaluating Jocelyn tonight, but she took the night off. Since I did not start with Jocelyn, Adrian was my partner. The desk sergeant will usually leave a rookie with their evaluator after they are finished with evaluation unless the evaluator has a new rookie or requests a break. Sometimes it is nice to ride solo for a night or two.

Early in the shift we were asked to go north up into two district to check by with another unit. That unit had a female in custody and he needed a female officer to check by and search his female prisoner. We arrived at the small seedy motel on the North Freeway and found the other unit. The first thing that I noticed about the motel was the office. Most motels have a nice, well lit office that you walk into and talk to the clerk. Not this place. This office was protected by bullet proof glass and had a sliding drawer to pass payment and keys through. High class. They probably had an hourly rate, but I did not inquire.

Adrian spoke to the other officer and then searched the female prisoner. We decided to transport her to jail, so Adrian put her in the backseat of our shop. About that time, the vice officers that arrested her came over to talk to us. Not surprisingly based on the motel, the female had been arrested for prostitution. The vice officers had found her through Craig's List. It is nice of Craig's List to allow you to sell your car, furniture, and booty, all in one place. I wonder what her ad in Craig's List was like? 1995 Honda Accord in good shape for $2000, 32 inch Sony TV like new for $200, and sex with nasty 28 year old me for $200? By the way, her first name was Gwensheca. No comment.

The vice officers contacted her and set up a meet and greet. The first officer went into the room in plain clothes. He told her that he had a party of 6 males that were all ready for action and willing to pay. She said, "That sounds fine and I will do whatever for $200 per guy". The vice officer said that sounds great and then called his boys. The female decided to pose in a provocative fashion on the bed to greet the arriving customers. The next male into the room was another vice officer, but he was wearing his raid vest that said POLICE across the chest. The female screamed "NO" and started crying. Poor girl, she was thinking that she was about to make a quick $1200, not go to jail for solicitation. A short time later, Adrian searched her purse. Surprisingly, the only drug Adrian found was Vivarin, the caffeine pill alertness aid. I am guessing that 6 guys who were paying $200 each would have kept her alert, but who knows? Adrian also found condoms in her purse. But she only had 2. I guess she was going to risk it with the other 4 guys.

Later as we were driving around, Adrian asked me "How old are you?" I was completely honest and said, "31". Not really, I told her the truth, 39. She responded, "Wow, I would not have guessed that you were that old." How exactly was I supposed to take that? That I look good for my age, or that I act younger than my age, or that I am old and she was just being polite because I was her evaluator? Anyway, it made me laugh, and that is always a good thing.

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Getting my point across to a child

After A finished his homework, he asked to go outside and play with some neighborhood children. I said fine, and he put on his jacket and raced outside. He came back a short time later, grabbed some gloves because his hands were cold and his scooter. Just as I was about to call him in for dinner, I saw him riding his scooter up the driveway towards the garage. There was another child, C, trailing behind A. I opened the backdoor and A asked if they could play the Wii. I said sure. They came inside and I set the Wii up for them.

They decided to play Super Smash Brothers Brawl. That is a game that I do not understand. When you are setting up the game, there are a bunch of characters in squares on the screen. Each player can select whichever character they want. A picked his player and it was C's turn to pick. He was not sure which to pick and had some questions. When he tried to show A which one he had questions about, C stood up, went over to the TV and touched the screen. I asked C very nicely to refrain from touching the screen. (I did not use the word "refrain" with C) I believe I said, "please do not touch the TV". Simple and straight forward. Easy to understand. A's little sister A2, who is 3, understood.

C picked his player and they played their game. When it was time for the next game, C again stood up, walked over to the TV, and touched the screen. I again asked him very nicely to stop touching the TV. His response "why?" Because I said so. He walked toward the TV again. I said, "C, please to not touch the TV." He said, "What will happen?" I said, "It does not matter what will happen, please do not touch the TV." At this point, I was starting to become a little annoyed. I was trying not to raise my voice. Mainly because it was a nice day outside, and the windows of the house were open. Again, he said, "Why not? What will happen if I touch the TV?" That was it for me. I said, "If you touch the TV again, you will not play the Wii at this house again". Ding, ding, ding. We have a winner. That got my point across. C sat down and started to use his words to ask A what he wanted to know. Sometimes you have to re-phrase things with children. If one way does not work, try something a little different.

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Think like a wolf, not a sheep

Tonight we were dispatched to a robbery with weapons that had just occurred. A robbery in Texas is defined as; in the course of committing theft, a person causes or threatens or places another person in fear of imminent bodily injury or death. For example, a thug comes up to you, knocks you down and takes your stuff. You have just been robbed. A person can be robbed, a vehicle or house can be burglarized.

A couple in their twenties moved here four months ago from Australia. They live in a very nice brand new apartment building that is close to Lakewood Church. They are expecting their first child to be born in May of next year. Tonight, they decided to go out to a wine tasting bar. Strange place for a pregnant female, but she did not partake in the tasting. The bar is four blocks from their apartment complex. The weather was nice and they decided to walk the four blocks to the bar. They had a nice time at the bar and began their walk home around 10:45 PM. As they were walking down a not well lit side street, they noticed two males. These two males were walking as well. They were coming from the opposite direction walking toward the married couple.

Something about the two males made the couple feel uneasy. Amazingly, they actually paid attention to their intuition and turned around. Unfortunately, two other males came out from another side street and started walking in their direction. The couple was in the middle of the block with males approaching them from both sides. They quickly realized that they were in a bad position. They decided to make a run for it. There was a small side street between them and the males. They turned back around and started running for the side street. They did not make it. The two males from behind them knocked down the female, sat on her, and then snatched her purse away from her. The other two males went after the husband. They caught him, and threatened to shoot him if he did not give them everything that he had. The suspects did not show a gun, but they had a hand under their shirt acting like they had one. The husband did the smart thing and handed over everything. The suspects then took off and the couple ran to their apartment building.
The couple was lucky. They were not hurt. They could easily have been severely injured or even killed. They listened to their intuition and experienced the "fight or flight" impulse. In their situation, it was probably a good decision to run. The husband was not going to fight off 4 males by himself.

Take a minute and put yourself in the same situation. What would you do?

What are you prepared to do? Do you have a plan? Have you talked to your spouse about what to do in these types of situations? Jen and I have talked about some situations. In most situations, she is to run away and call 911. That way I do not have to worry about her, just about myself. If the kids are with us, she grabs the kids and takes off for the same reason. We have not discussed this particular situation. This is the first time that I have seen suspects in this area "hunt" like raptors. Usually they all come at you from the same direction, not from multiple directions. In this situation, I would instruct Jen to hide between cars nearby, take out her phone and call 911. That way I can take out my pistol and take care of things without her in the way.

I have the benefit of having a pistol with me all of the time and of extensive training. Without the pistol and the training, I would react differently. Even with those tools, sometimes the best option will be to run. I am fine with that. The important thing is to think about these situations. The best thing is to avoid the situation completely. Be smart about where you park and walk and pay attention to your surroundings. And, get a concealed handgun permit.

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A couple of Germans

Day four evaluating Adrian and she is still doing well. She claims that she is still anxious about evaluation. I keep telling her that she is doing fine, but I am not sure that she believes me. I tell her that I can document poor performance as easily as good performance. I am not just giving away good scores. Early in the shift we volunteered for an assault report in the "gayborhood". Right in the middle of my beat is the nexus of the city's homosexual population. We arrived to find four males standing in front of their apartment complex. One of the males was dressed in drag and another had powder on his face and a french manicure.

They stated that they were both dressed in drag and were walking down the street. They were on their way to perform at a local club. An acquaintance jumped out from behind a vehicle and punched one of the males in the jaw, cracking his tooth. They fell to the ground and the other male dressed in drag jumped in to help. After a brief scuffle, the males in dresses were able to free themselves from their attacker. The suspect ran off and the males walked home and then called the police. While Adrian was getting all of the information for the report, two other males walked up. They had a question for me.

They stated that they were from Germany and were in town for the weekend. They were staying downtown and had called for a cab. Once in the cab they told the cabdriver that they wanted to go to a bar. The cabdriver dropped them off in the middle of the gayborhood. The Germans had no idea where they were until they walked into the closest bar. They quickly left after observing the waiters. The waiters were wearing tidy whities and shoes and that is all. Needless to say, they were a little shocked. I told them that I understood. The first time that I had to go into that particular bar for a call, I was a little shocked as well.

They said that they are members of the German Air Defense and have been training in El Paso for the past 6 months. It seems that Germany will not allow them to train with live anti-aircraft ammunition. We will, so they are training in west Texas. After getting to know them a little, I told them that there were two possible reasons why the cabdriver brought them to the gayborhood. Either the cabdriver liked the scenery in the area, or he thought that the two Germans were homosexuals. This made the Germans fall over laughing. I told them that we would give them a ride to a more appropriate part of town once we were finished gathering information for the report.

The Germans piled into the backseat and we took off for Mid-town. On the way I asked them if they wanted a nice place to get drinks, or good music, or beautiful women. They replied all three would be great. We dropped them off close to Pub Fiction. Right after I let them out of the backseat, three gorgeous blondes walked out of the Pub. The Germans smiled and said this place looked great. They handed me a camera and I took their picture by the patrol car. I am an ambassador for the city. :^D Good times.

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