Forever the boyscout
I just had a conversation with a friend that left me wondering. Do you smell something burning? After taking the batteries from the smoke detectors to stop the ear-shattering squeal, I decided to put pen to paper so to speak.
This friend asked me if I wanted to go out to a bar we used to frequent often a few years ago because tomorrow is the last night it's open. The newspaper says it's closing due to the economy and lack of customers, but a city cop told my buddy that the owner is getting sent to the hoosegow for his involvement in narcotics at the bar. Now, I've heard the rumors that it "snowed" in private rooms someplace in the bar, but never saw anything with my own eyes to substantiate it. If I had, I wouldn't have ever gone back.
So I tell my friend that if his info is the truth, I'm not interested. No need for me, a law enforcement officer, to associate myself with anything illegal. Well, my friend laughed and said "Forever the boyscout." I know that he was only crushing my stones, but it irritated me. Then I started wondering why it irritated me, and that irritated me more. After all what's wrong with being associated with being a good person and doing the right thing?
In my life I've done things I'm not proud of, said things I shouldn't have, and turned my back to things I should have stood against but for the most part I've strived to be a good guy. I always figured it's the only way I'm going to get any favorable votes when my time for judgement comes. So, why would his comment bother me?
This friend asked me if I wanted to go out to a bar we used to frequent often a few years ago because tomorrow is the last night it's open. The newspaper says it's closing due to the economy and lack of customers, but a city cop told my buddy that the owner is getting sent to the hoosegow for his involvement in narcotics at the bar. Now, I've heard the rumors that it "snowed" in private rooms someplace in the bar, but never saw anything with my own eyes to substantiate it. If I had, I wouldn't have ever gone back.
So I tell my friend that if his info is the truth, I'm not interested. No need for me, a law enforcement officer, to associate myself with anything illegal. Well, my friend laughed and said "Forever the boyscout." I know that he was only crushing my stones, but it irritated me. Then I started wondering why it irritated me, and that irritated me more. After all what's wrong with being associated with being a good person and doing the right thing?
In my life I've done things I'm not proud of, said things I shouldn't have, and turned my back to things I should have stood against but for the most part I've strived to be a good guy. I always figured it's the only way I'm going to get any favorable votes when my time for judgement comes. So, why would his comment bother me?
posted by Moe at 15:59
1 Comments:
By saying that he was blowing off not just your values, but also the entire catalog of life experience that built those values. Not a "friend" thing to do.
A week or so ago a good friend said something similar to me (said my husband has a lot to put up with out of me). I knew he was teasing me because quite often we both joke about how much of a pain I can be. And yet it hurt more than I wanted it to. I kept thinking he doesn't know what my marriage is like, who is he to comment on what my husband does or doesn't put up with? Ultimately I got over it because he's not an intentionally hurtful kind of person... but it did make me think.
In any case, I see nothing wrong with your avoiding the place... even just the rumor is enough IMO. Good for you.
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