Playin' with the po-po

      Last week I received a text from Rich that totally made my day:

   It seems he wanted to help me in my quest try everything in the world at least once. And I have never officially played a hostage or a victim before.

   I don't want to brag, but I rocked it. I play a dead person really well, after a long day at work... Zzzzzz... And a hostage? Well, let's just say that when someone has even a gun full of Simunitions to my head, I can scream with the best of them!

   I even got to hold a gun bigger than me:

   I should clarify that I am not at all gun crazy, as these pictures could suggest. I am merely curious to put myself in others' shoes and try experiences I've never had before.

   My favorite part was talking with the instructing officers between training exercises, and hearing them debrief with the student officers after each round. I learned a lot. Mostly, I learned how thankful I am that the stakes aren't so high in my own career. Can't imagine having to bust into a creepy old building in the dark and risk my own life to stop an active shooter. The further I am from these harsh realities, the better! But it was fun for one night. And I am thankful for those who dedicate their lives to protecting all of us.

   And it seems that my acting must have been even better than I realized: I got a letter from the Chief thanking me!