New numbers and a new category – “Numbers”.
Today marks the three month anniversary of my retirement from the EPPD. I wrote a post (click here) three days into my retirement showing my life displayed in four numbers: days lived before cop, days lived as cop, days lived after cop and total days lived. I am a visual person and a numbers person. Looking at these numbers gave me, and continues to give me a perspective on where I am at in life. I often feel frustrated with the progress I am making in the my career transition. Yes, believe it or not, I am not an overly patient person. But the perspective of these numbers helps.
So I have decided that I am going to start a ritual, a tradition, a discipline, a routine, an “exercise”, yeah that’s it, a “spiritual fitness exercise” of taking some time every three months on my anniversary date to read, rest, reflect and rite. I’m writing this post at about 2 in the afternoon after a day of struggling to focus on the 4 R’s, trying to avoid getting caught up (ie. procrastinate) spending my time on the chores and projects that usually make up my days. But I did make some progress, and it was quite refreshing. Enough so that I want to make the exercise a routine.
So every three months on the 26th, look for a new “numbers” post and get some perspective on my perspective.

Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association
Minnesota Law Enforcement Memorial Association
Minnesota National Guard "Beyond the Yellow Ribbon"
Minnesota Emergency Services Chaplain Association
Hennepin County Chiefs of Police Association
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America