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The Hunting of the Snark:  Lessons for, and from, a life in policing.

1/7/2020

18 Comments

 
​"But oh, beamish nephew, beware of the day,
If your Snark be a Boojum! For then
You will softly and suddenly vanish away,
And never be met with again!"*
*from 'The Hunting of the Snark', by Lewis Carroll
​Most police officers entering into retirement have found their Snark to be a Boojum.  This is not necessarily a bad thing.  There is something to be said for softly and suddenly vanishing away.  Organisations evolve relentlessly and leave all contributors, even the most significant of them, in their wake.  If cricket can move past Don Bradman, then policing - well, you get the analogy...
The trick to softly and suddenly vanishing away is, however, a pathway laden with hazards as fearful as Lewis Carroll's Bandersnatch; even more perilous than the JubJub.  It is a journey requiring; in fact, demanding, significant forethought and planning.  Of course, almost all retiring professionals will arrive at this realisation; but many of them do so too late.
​The Bellman looked uffish, and wrinkled his brow.
If only you'd spoken before!
It's excessively awkward to mention it now,
With the Snark, so to speak, at the door!*
​​Our profession, the profession of policing, is an immersive one.  We take it home with us; and to parties.  It comes in phone calls and emails when we are not at work.  It gets between us and those we love.  It comes in insomnia.  It comes on our holidays with us.  It appears suddenly in the places we thought we went to escape it.  If we are not careful, it consumes us.  We need to be careful because, if we allow ourselves to be consumed by it - if policing becomes our identity - then, when we are no longer police, what remains?
​The loss of his clothes hardly mattered, because
He had seven coats on when he came,
With three pair of boots—but the worst of it was,
He had wholly forgotten his name.*
​Of course, at the beginning of our careers, when we are young and strong and can leap tall buildings in a single bound, none of this matters.  Except it does.  We are the frogs in the heated pot, and we need to be conscious of the water temperature rising around us.  There are two alternative certainties: we will learn to cope, or we will fall over.  Coping, therefore, is good.  However, it is a learned skill, and all of us learn in differing degrees, at different speeds, and by different methods.  But teaching ourselves how to cope is an important and necessary thing, and it is is beyond dispute that having some deliberate strategies to guide us is much preferred to a reliance on good luck and a fair breeze.
​He had bought a large map representing the sea,
Without the least vestige of land:
And the crew were much pleased when they found it to be
A map they could all understand...
...This was charming, no doubt; but they shortly found out
That the Captain they trusted so well
Had only one notion for crossing the ocean,
And that was to tingle his bell.*
​Don't be that Captain.
Have a sensible map; a realistic plan.  Some reference points are handy.
Many of us commence our vocational journey without that plan (or, if you like, possessed of a map with no markings).  We have no conception of the shape or direction of our career other than, perhaps, a careless awareness of the absence of any such direction.  And often there is comfort in drifting with the current and breeze.  But all of us, even those who enter the profession with clear and unambiguous plans for their journey, can discover that a life in policing will take us in unexpected and, on occasions, inexplicable directions.​
But the principal failing occurred in the sailing,
And the Bellman, perplexed and distressed,
Said he had hoped, at least, when the wind blew due East,
That the ship would not travel due West!*
​Trust me; in 40 years of policing, I have seen examples of such navigational absurdity.  So a plan is great, but not foolproof.  Plans don't always go according to - well, you know.  What does one do when the plan fails?  When we are being tossed about in the tempest, how is control regained?  
You might begin by discovering - and it is a journey of discovery - who you are.  Not name, rank and payroll ID number, but what is at the core of your being.  Who are you?  Where do you belong?  What makes you happy?  Are you the winger with no left foot but a liking for tall stories in the bar after the game?  Are you the only member of the choir with the vocal range required for the Hallelujah Chorus?  Are you a favourite uncle / aunt?  Ratbag cousin?  Are you the most predictable non-winner in the tipping competition?  
Where do you belong?  And, most importantly: who is there for you when work is not?  
When you make that discovery, never let it go.  To do your job well, you do not have to neglect that aspect of yourself.  In fact, to continue to do your job well is almost impossible without that aspect of yourself.  Nurture and develop your self as if it is your most precious possession.  Because it is. ​
You may seek it with thimbles, and seek it with care;
You may hunt it with forks and hope;
You may threaten its life with a railway-share;
You may charm it with smiles and soap.*
​Having found your self, and having discovered your place, you always have safe harbour to which to return.  Which provides confidence, and great comfort, for a person who subjects themselves to the tumultuous forces of a career in policing.  This job will offer you a profusion of possibilities, and for every single one of them, there are further multitudes of uncertainties.  
If all goes according to plan, my own journey in this profession will end on my 58th birthday, having spent 40 and one half of those years as a police officer.  Can anyone doubt that the 58 year old me would be a very different person if the 17 year old me had made a different career decision?  This profession has shaped me into the person I will be when I leave it and go out into the world.  Whether that is a positive or negative result is a judgement for time and for others, but here is the crucial point:  if a career in policing is going to alter the person you are, then should you not do everything in your power to observe and control that process?
'Tis a pitiful tale," said the Bellman, whose face
Had grown longer at every word:
But, now that you've stated the whole of your case,
More debate would be simply absurd.*
​​I'm pleased to be retiring.  Not because I dislike this career, nor because I have tired of my colleagues.  I'm just ready to embrace the opportunity to live a hundred percent of my life as the person I now know myself to be.  Like any veteran police officer, I have seen my share of stuff, and not all of it has been disheartening.  In dealing with situations that bring the worst to people, we often see them at their best:  spirited; stoic; generous; strong; determined.  And of course, in dealing with those situations we, as police, form our own bonds of fellowship with each other.  I've been supported, nurtured and reinforced in that fellowship.  Of the countless people I have worked alongside over four decades, I could count on the tines of a cocktail fork the ones I found it hard to like.  And even they taught me things!  
So, thank you Tasmania Police, for taking the teenage me and shaping him into something which I hope is not a complete bastard.  Thanks for teaching me about life.  Thanks also for equipping me, at least in part, to bring the three finest young adults I know into this world.  
Thanks to this island. If you are going to be police, this place is a good place to do it. 
Thanks to the villains, victims, bystanders, collaborators and magistrates who played their role in my pageant.  Thanks to my mentors; and to those who at least pretended to heed my (too often not) occasional advice.  
Above all else, thanks to those who love me (others might doubt their existence, but I know who they are!) for giving me a retreat, and a mirror.  And here, primarily, I mean my wife, Michelle.  A now retired mentor of mine reminded me recently of the toll this job takes on personal relationships; of the countless hours of not being present for Christmases, New Years, school holidays, weekends, presentation nights, public holidays, birthdays and anniversaries.  My mentor asks, "What bastard would do that to his family?".  Well, I was one of the many to do so.  Through all those absences, including the ones where I was physically present but otherwise absent, Michelle carried on stoically, and often alone.  I wrote above about the importance of knowing where you belong.  She is where I belong.
I'm stepping out the door with a smile on my face and a sack full of plans.  Four decades after accidentally starting an unplanned journey, I can sense that the Snark is nearby - so close, in fact, that I think I can distinguish its features ...  
In the midst of the word he was trying to say,
In the midst of his laughter and glee,
He had softly and suddenly vanished away--
For the Snark was a Boojum, you see.*
Picture
18 Comments
Phil Gregort
5/8/2020 05:09:48 pm

Hi Danny.
Enjoyed your article. Very different. Congratulations on a long career. I was fortunate enough to spend some time working along side you. In the early days. Enjoy the ride from now on. It sure is a great one. I'm in my fourteenth year of retirement after 36 years and enjoying it more and more each day. Cheers and all the best.
Phil Gregory.

Reply
Doug Oosti
5/8/2020 05:22:59 pm

Exactly as I hoped you'd do it, Danny. Thoughtfully poetic and brimming with optimisim and hope.

Congratulations and I do hope you catch the snark.

Sincerely,

Doug.

Reply
Cass Dowling
5/8/2020 05:37:58 pm

Profound and enjoyable reflections Danny, what a gift you are. I am lucky to have worked with you during the early S@H days. You gave so much to your profession. Enjoy every moment of being with your Michelle without distraction and it’s close associate, stress! A job well done. All the best, Cass 💕

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Tim D
5/8/2020 05:55:08 pm

Impressive piece of work Danny, though I found myself hoping to read of a pirate or two !! Well done mate .... on the piece of course, but most importantly your career. Your smile, eternal optimism, and (often) sage, timely advice, was a blessing. All the best for you and Michelle and your family.

Tim

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Jamie
5/8/2020 07:01:02 pm

“I know not all that may be coming, but be it what it will, I’ll go to it laughing.”

Smiling your way into the next stage - Dan, the man with the plan. X

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Jud
5/8/2020 07:29:12 pm

Thank you, Danny. For your service, your humanity & your swashbuckling style. A thoroughly enjoyable reflection which appeals to any retiree in a 52 year olds body...

Jud

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Stuart Wilkinson
5/8/2020 07:38:38 pm

Very nicely done Danny. Congratulations mate.

Enjoy! You deserve it.

Stuart

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Pato
5/8/2020 08:10:12 pm

🤣🤣 nicely played old bean. Wise words for everyone in fact, not just those retiring. Catch up for 🍺🍺🍺 before you go though 👍

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Richo
5/8/2020 09:45:27 pm

Enjoy the days , months and years ahead!

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Griz
5/8/2020 10:46:21 pm

Hi Danny. Congratulations on a great career old mate. Happy days in retirement. Steer clear of axe murderer’s. Griz.

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Brods
6/8/2020 09:41:09 am

Thought provoking words. Enjoy a long retirement.

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Tim C
6/8/2020 10:49:07 am

I find myself thinking of when I will be doing the same. Your words of wisdom are the same as your leadership, spot on. The 2 years at Swansea under your command were the best years of my career, eeven though at time under great peril and stress. I thank you for your guidance for where I am today. Enjoy your retirement and the new plans. Cheers fella.

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Dulc
6/8/2020 01:02:50 pm

So true Danny and so you! Take all the good memories, 'ice cream Van days' and be totally present for the next wonderful phase of your life. Enjoy!

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Captain Pugwash
6/8/2020 06:58:36 pm

Great read old boy. Just remember, your retiring from the job, not from life. But I think you already figured that one out. My second favourite course 10 member. Won’t make your farewell so have a beer, whisky or whatever for me!

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Andrew Bates
6/8/2020 10:17:06 pm

Russian steak. Thats it. A life lesson. Thank you, Danny.

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Colin Riley
6/8/2020 10:40:51 pm

Danny, you are one of the true gentlemen in Tasmania Police. You will be sorely missed, yet I am so pleased for you to be able to move on under your terms and when it suits you and your family.

You have been a role model as to how one can act to be considered, understanding and make a real difference to the membership. I will miss the opportunity to gain positivity from you.

This is a well written piece which will resonate with every person who ever wore the uniform. Good luck and good health my friend to you and your family. Congratulations!

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Valerie
7/8/2020 08:46:27 pm

"Exit stage left" ...and done with class.
All the best
Val

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Roger Castro link
12/11/2022 08:54:18 pm

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