Tuesday, January 25, 2011

The Foundation


                                                (I do not own rights to this video)



September 11, 2001.  Where were you when the world stopped?  Do you remember?  I do.  I was sitting in a junior high school classroom 600 miles away when we got the news.  I wasn't even in high school yet and like students all around the nation, we watched the news footage in disbelief on classroom televisions.  We were so young and looking back now I am not too sure if everyone could fully grasp what was happening.  Some watched while others talked amongst themselves about things non-related.  I couldn't take my eyes off the t.v.  In the hours, days, and weeks after the events I continued to be glued to TV coverage of the site, developing in what I felt like was some sort of obsession with what had happened.  I soaked in every bit of information I could, and on some days, that was the only thing I wanted to watch.  Nine years later, on some days it is still the only thing I want to watch.

This marks the beginning for me; the first time I felt it.  This deep desire that I have rarely spoken of to anyone.  It is hard for me to describe the feeling because in some ways it makes me feel guilty, foolish, or naive. The feeling of..."I wish I would have been there." Was there something wrong with me?  I have felt like if anyone who might have experienced those tragic events first hand were to hear me say that they might even be offended.  Now before you begin to think that I am insane, I must continue to explain.  I have long had this wish, a desire to have been in the middle of such a disastrous and horrifying moment because I have always thought, "What if I could have helped someone?"  There were over 2,700 people who died at ground zero that day, so would it have even mattered?  I wish I could have been there to save one, and if only one, then to me it would be worth it. This would not be the only time I had these feelings.  I felt the same way when Katrina happened and again throughout the Virginia Tech incident.  I wished I could have been there to do something, anything, help someone or perhaps even stop something bad from happening.  This is why I want to be a police officer.  I want to have to run in when everyone else is running out.

Welcome to my blog and thanks for stopping by.  I am Thomas Towers, or Tom.  I am a recent college grad in pursuit of a career in law enforcement.  I have a Bachelor's Degree in Criminology, a minor in National Security & Intelligence with a strong focus on domestic and international terrorism. While attending one of the largest universities in the United States, I also held a student position with a local police department and in the summer I interned with a homeland security agency at the state level.  I went to college more or less for personal reasons I guess you could say, but I think it really came down to the fact you can't be a police officer until you are 21 years of age and I didn't really have anything else to do with myself until then.  Plus I figured going to school and getting a degree that was related to my profession might give me an advantaged at some point, however, some days I feel like I couldn't have been anymore wrong.  I happened to graduate and begin a pursuit of this career at pretty much the worst possible time.  I don't have to tell you that the economy sucks and everyone on the planet applies to the few police departments that can afford to hire anybody.

I am in the hiring process for several police departments throughout the Midwest.  If you are new to law enforcement I can tell you that they are long and extensive and depending where you are it can anywhere from 6 months to 2 years to get a conditional offer after you have applied.  I don't like to get too excited because the hiring process is a long road of ups and downs, but I am getting close and if you check in here periodically, I will take you on my journey.

"Shades of Blue" is my blog, and it is your blog.  Blue represents me because it is my favorite color.  Those who know me well enough to have seen my closet are the first to tell me, "hey do you think maybe you could mix up your color scheme a little bit more."  :)  Blue also represents the profession that I, that we all have a passion for, or at least I am assuming you are at least a little interested in because you seemed to have found your way here.  Personally, the shades of blue represent the many dimensions of my identity.  My dreams, thoughts, feelings, experiences, and opinions.  For everyone else the shades of blue represents the many dimensions of the life, of the profession.  Expect me to post something new at least weekly but I am sure some weeks I will have more than one entry.  I invite you to become a part of this community.  Share your thoughts, feelings, triumphs, and losses.