Jan 2024. Blues Vol 40 No. 1

WORDS BY A RETIRED SHERIFF
Words of Wisdom from a Retired Texas Sheriff
ED: The following story was
submitted by a retired Sheriff
who recently passed away at
the age of 101. He was living in a
retirement home and his daughter,
a cop herself, found this letter
in his things. She mailed it to us
and asked that we run it as it
was written, “in his words.” She
asked that his name be withheld,
although many will recognize his
words and his story. Samantha,
in honor of your father, here is his
story in “his words.”
First off, I apologize for my
handwritin’. I hope you’re not
one of those young ins who can’t
read script writin’ and if you
are, find someone old enough to
read it to you. My name is Samuel,
I’m 100 years old and livin’
in a home. An old folks home.
People around here just call me
Sheriff. Cause I was a Sheriff in
Texas back in the 50’s and 60’s. I
was just a youngin’ then myself.
My dad was a lawman and so
was his father. It was something
our family just did. And now my
granddaughter is a fourth generation
lawman….well lawwoman
I guess you’d say. Anyhow, I’m so
proud of her for carrying on the
family tradition.
I know in my heart; I don’t
have much time left in this here
world. And it’s just as well.
When you get to be my age,
you really don’t have anyone
left. All your friends and
co-workers have long passed
as have all your relatives. When
my wife passed over ten years
ago, I realized I was all alone.
All my kids are gone too and all
I have left is my granddaughter.
But she’s so busy with work, I
hardly get to see her anymore
either. The truth is, when you
get to be 100, the only people
you have left are the ones
you’re livin with at the home.
And every day, they are carrying
one of them out on a stretcher.
So, I’m just here waitin. Waitin
for them to carry me out of
here just like the rest. But until
that happens, I decided to write
down something for younger
folks to read and hopefully
learn something from an old
lawman.
All you young cops need to
listen to what I have to say.
When you’re young and green
behind the ears you only think
about your job, getting laid
and movin up. Always trying to
impress your boss and makin it
to the next grade. Get promoted
to make more money. And in the
process, you forget about your
woman at home and ignorin
your youngins. You miss their
birthday parties, Christmas and
such. In other words, you’re just
not there. Your wife, she gets
lonely and starts messin around,
and maybe you do the same with
someone at work. Next thing you
know you’re breakin up and the
kids pay the price.
Family and friends are the
most important thing in your
life. Not the job. The job will
always be there, your family may
not be. Do your job the best you
can. Make your parents, your
wife and your kids proud of you
for servin. But don’t make them
suffer because of it. Do you get
what I’m sayin? This is important
and you need to hear me.
If I could do it all over again, I
would be home more and less
at work. I wouldn’t miss Christmas
or New Years and damn
sure none of my kids’ birthdays. I
would have been a better hus-
120 The Blues -- January ‘24