Stephen G. Collier's Blog
December 15, 2014
Joining the Dots...
I have often thought about what milestones (DOTS) in my life steered me towards working in law enforcement, considering that neither of my parents were remotely acquainted with the law. My mother and father worked in the printing trade, not even close to being law enforcers, so it is beyond me where the desire to be a policeman came from.
The one thing I do remember is that one of my grandfather's was in the Ministry of Defence Police finishing as a Chief Inspector. As a child I played around the house in his old cap, brandishing his old notebook. DOT.
Throughout school this desire to be a copper never left, and when asked what I ‘wanted to be when I grew up,’ the answer was always a policeman, DOT, - well apart from a short time when I wanted to be a train driver. But didn’t all kids back then, want to drive a steam train!
Some years ago the late Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, spoke at a graduating ceremony to students at Stamford University. He talked about joining up the dots - the significant events that make you become, what you become. And that you can only join the dots retrospectively. You cannot predict what dots there will be in the future.
I certainly could not predict that I was actually going to be a copper. I could try and work my way towards it, but there were no guarantees. Perhaps though, these dots are predetermined, or are defined either overtly or subliminaly by a parents need to see their offspring succeed?
I know in my heart, that my father wanted me to join the Army. In fact I got as far as the Army Careers Office. But my overriding desire still remained; I wanted to be a copper, either in my own county or elsewhere. DOT.
As a child I knew that I was never the sharpest pencil in the box. My ‘education’ came later, all the way to a degree - surprisingly. I was never assertive at school, hated all forms of contact sport - still do. I was never competitive, bullied constantly by classmates, most of whom are or have been locked up by now I shouldn’t wonder.
Is that another DOT then, experiences at school described a path that would remove for me, the need to be overly competitive or just an ability to do something about bully’s.
Surviving the police training school was, it has to be said, a trial. Many a night and many a weekend was dedicated to not being sent to the ‘woodentops’ class on a Monday morning. Something that the police service would never get away with now!
It was on those long nights that my interest in the art of writing became apparent. Not the art of writing prose at that time, but the art of the perfect formation of letters - calligraphy. DOT. The result of that self taught art is that I always write with a fountain pen. All of my first drafts are always hand written with one of a collection of fountain pens I have acquired over the years. Any other sort of pen is just a poor substitute. DOT.
So, here I am then, having fulfilled my desire to enforce the law, the DOTS have lead me to write - I wonder what will happen next?
The one thing I do remember is that one of my grandfather's was in the Ministry of Defence Police finishing as a Chief Inspector. As a child I played around the house in his old cap, brandishing his old notebook. DOT.
Throughout school this desire to be a copper never left, and when asked what I ‘wanted to be when I grew up,’ the answer was always a policeman, DOT, - well apart from a short time when I wanted to be a train driver. But didn’t all kids back then, want to drive a steam train!
Some years ago the late Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, spoke at a graduating ceremony to students at Stamford University. He talked about joining up the dots - the significant events that make you become, what you become. And that you can only join the dots retrospectively. You cannot predict what dots there will be in the future.
I certainly could not predict that I was actually going to be a copper. I could try and work my way towards it, but there were no guarantees. Perhaps though, these dots are predetermined, or are defined either overtly or subliminaly by a parents need to see their offspring succeed?
I know in my heart, that my father wanted me to join the Army. In fact I got as far as the Army Careers Office. But my overriding desire still remained; I wanted to be a copper, either in my own county or elsewhere. DOT.
As a child I knew that I was never the sharpest pencil in the box. My ‘education’ came later, all the way to a degree - surprisingly. I was never assertive at school, hated all forms of contact sport - still do. I was never competitive, bullied constantly by classmates, most of whom are or have been locked up by now I shouldn’t wonder.
Is that another DOT then, experiences at school described a path that would remove for me, the need to be overly competitive or just an ability to do something about bully’s.
Surviving the police training school was, it has to be said, a trial. Many a night and many a weekend was dedicated to not being sent to the ‘woodentops’ class on a Monday morning. Something that the police service would never get away with now!
It was on those long nights that my interest in the art of writing became apparent. Not the art of writing prose at that time, but the art of the perfect formation of letters - calligraphy. DOT. The result of that self taught art is that I always write with a fountain pen. All of my first drafts are always hand written with one of a collection of fountain pens I have acquired over the years. Any other sort of pen is just a poor substitute. DOT.
So, here I am then, having fulfilled my desire to enforce the law, the DOTS have lead me to write - I wonder what will happen next?
