Springboard 2 - Morning Coffee
Sometimes I stay up so late that I have my morning coffee before I go to bed.
Okay, so I'm starting at the beginning. Which I should do, considering I just got here. But that's beside the point...er, topic...
Thankfully, CCD is not one of those divisions where your job owns you.
I've come to the conclusion that I'm in the minority of cops when it comes to how we handle our work commitments. I have never had a moment of guilt at the end of the day, when I gather my stuff and head home. I come to work, I do my job, and then I leave with a clear head. Not that I won't stay late if they really need me to but I'm not one of those people whom you'll find sleeping on his desk or still there when the cleaning crew comes by.
It's just not something that's in me. Part of it is because I work in a division where that kind of behavior isn't really warranted. Part of it is my nature. I don't really need to stay late when I get as much done as possible during the day. I'm also very good at drawing the boundaries between my professional life and my personal one. That's simple: I don't have a personal life. But I know that I need my space and my time away from the job, just like any sane person in any other profession, and I do my best to keep that for myself. After twenty-four years, it's become an art form.
The last two months have shown me just how wise that is. There was a night in March where I was up late working a stakeout rotation outside The Fish Man's place. I got relieved by the two cops from Detective Support and Vice. No sooner did I get home, toss my jacket and loosen my tie, than Sergeant Spivacke called us all back in. Fugitive Apprehension had found The Fish Man and we needed to come in to do the interrogation. That's one of the rare times that I've been on the job for more than a normal shift, and it doesn't sit well with me. I'll do it without complaint but I'm the guy with bags under his eyes looking weary.
Maybe that makes me different. I don't know. All I know is that I've done twenty-four years and haven't screwed up too badly yet, so the extra sleep must be good for something.
Muse: Detective Sergeant Kevin Cassel
Fandom: Original Character (The Practice of Strangers)
Okay, so I'm starting at the beginning. Which I should do, considering I just got here. But that's beside the point...er, topic...
Thankfully, CCD is not one of those divisions where your job owns you.
I've come to the conclusion that I'm in the minority of cops when it comes to how we handle our work commitments. I have never had a moment of guilt at the end of the day, when I gather my stuff and head home. I come to work, I do my job, and then I leave with a clear head. Not that I won't stay late if they really need me to but I'm not one of those people whom you'll find sleeping on his desk or still there when the cleaning crew comes by.
It's just not something that's in me. Part of it is because I work in a division where that kind of behavior isn't really warranted. Part of it is my nature. I don't really need to stay late when I get as much done as possible during the day. I'm also very good at drawing the boundaries between my professional life and my personal one. That's simple: I don't have a personal life. But I know that I need my space and my time away from the job, just like any sane person in any other profession, and I do my best to keep that for myself. After twenty-four years, it's become an art form.
The last two months have shown me just how wise that is. There was a night in March where I was up late working a stakeout rotation outside The Fish Man's place. I got relieved by the two cops from Detective Support and Vice. No sooner did I get home, toss my jacket and loosen my tie, than Sergeant Spivacke called us all back in. Fugitive Apprehension had found The Fish Man and we needed to come in to do the interrogation. That's one of the rare times that I've been on the job for more than a normal shift, and it doesn't sit well with me. I'll do it without complaint but I'm the guy with bags under his eyes looking weary.
Maybe that makes me different. I don't know. All I know is that I've done twenty-four years and haven't screwed up too badly yet, so the extra sleep must be good for something.
Muse: Detective Sergeant Kevin Cassel
Fandom: Original Character (The Practice of Strangers)