The Man of Steel Made me Cry

I'm workng late shifts this week so I tempted the anger of the Netflix gods and rented a PPV (Pay Per View) movie. Superman Returns to be precise. Well, it was very formulaic and just as I had hoped, great special FX, no really deep plot lines, and a villian you love to hate.

But that is not why it got me writing. I'm telling you this because one man of steel made another one cry. I'm not talking a sob or a weep, I mean a fullout box of hankies howl followed by the big nose blowfest. If you haven't seen the movie, too bad, 'cause 2 parts of the story came together in a way I was absolutely NOT expecting.

The first is what really hurt me and made me cry like a little kid for the first time in almost a year. Superman was badly injured by Kryptonite while saving the world (no surprise there) and wound up unconscious in the hospital (stick with me on this) with the obligatory heart/pulse O2/Respiration monitor beating in the background. Then while he is laid up Lois Lane visits him and tells the comatose SM that he's a daddy! Yep! SUPERBOY (5yrs old in movie time). BUT, before she tells him this little nugget she leans in close, wipes away tears and starts to monologue, "I don't know if you can hear me, they say people can still here when they are like this...." and the heart monitor flutters and skips a beat.

I just lost it!

Last February 21st my Dad died from complications related to a genetic disorder we are blessed with. Before he died Dad was unconscious for a time but my sisters, my mom and I spoke to him often and he'd respond to our voices and our touch. When the time came and his Rabbi told him, "John, it's time" my fathers heart rate climbed as if he was saying no, I'm not done yet. But we knew it WAS time so we each took his hand, thanked him for being the best Dad ever, and assured him we would be okay. The Rabbi told Dad, "You've done well, raised a good family, it's time for you to rest, John, it's okay, it's time". I leaned in close, kissed Dad goodbye and held his hand until he was finally at peace. It broke my heart like nothing before.

As I tried to pull myself together so did the now stronger SM. He leaves the hospital (flying, of course), slips into his new son's bedroom and watches his boy sleeping, just as I've done to the Bairn many times before and I know my Dad did with me. Then, as if Dad was talking to me through, of all things a DC Comic character, SM quietly told his sleeping son;
"you will never be alone,"
"you will make my strength your own,"
"you will see my life through your eyes,"
"your life, I will see through mine,"
"a son becomes a father, a father becomes a son"

I love my Dad and I miss him very much. I just wanted you to know.

Smiles From a 4 Year Old

Yep, I do enjoy them so. But first, I just got done telling you how I will be a better blogger and to post more regularly........then........LIFE hits me in the back of the head like I'm an NCIS probie. I guess I forgot that I have a full time job, a wonderful wife, a 3...scratch that... 4 year old daughter, and a house, and a, and a, and a, ad nauseam. So here I am, what, a month since my last post hoping you're still out there. Anyway, it's difficult to explain how my life can sometimes be such a display of contradictory paths between work and home. Yet my home life and work are inextricably intertwined. Read on if you dare......

I just spent the past two weeks on a case where some sick SOB attacked young boys with a chemical spray as they walked down the street. Fortunately, we quickly discovered the chemical was pepper spray mixed with Fabreeze so the effects were painful but not scarring to the victims. So I spent my days looking for some ba*#*rd that thought this was a cool and funny stunt then, I came home to my bairn (Scottish for "baby") who was eagerly anticipating her upcoming birthday. To visit a teenager with a chemical burn on his face and eye then go home to a perfect angel made me SO VERY grateful for the blessings in my life.

The Bairn knows daddy puts "Bad Guys" in jail but has no concept of just how bad those guys can be. Hopefully, it will be a long time before she has to know. Such as the disappearance of a 23 year old girl from her cruise ship vacation with friends. The girl was last seen with an unknown male at a bar in the Bahamas. As you know cases like this quickly take on a life of their own (think FBI, CNN, etc.). So, as I am trying to deal with this case I am looking at the photos on my desk of The Bairn's smiling face and pray I won't have to call someone else's daddy and crush his heart.

In my eleven years of service I have come to believe it is important to enjoy what you do, but more importantly you should do what you do with passion, devotion, and honesty. Passion for the job, the hunt, the belief that what you are doing is right and that you can make a difference. Devotion to the truth, to the facts, and to perform my duty with honor. Finally, to serve with honesty. Honesty in purpose, honesty in ability, and honesty in life. Above all, Honesty is the keystone. Without it the remaining traits are hollow and unavailing.

So, for me, I use the wonder and delight of coming home to the excited hug of a 4 year old girl that missed her daddy to give me the strength of character and strength of will to remain honest to myself, my wife, my family, and my job. I just thought you'd like to know that.