Today, I cannot stop thinking about my friend, Paul.
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| Rookie Paul |
I met him when he was a young pup & a rookie at the police department. He started dating a desk officer, my friend Debbie. He was in love but I'm not sure Debbie was. But she came from a small town & that he came from an affluent family & thought he'd be able to give her an easier life. So she married him.
Sadly, the luster wore off really quick. She got her house & her big diamond & an interior designer but she wasn't happy. And she hated being married to cop. She hated the hours & because she wanted more & more, he had to work extra side jobs for the money & she'd complain about him being gone. One of my pet peeves is don't marry a cop if you don't want to be married to a cop. Her dad was a cop so the life was not a surprise.
I would ride along what Paul quite a bit & we became close friends. I felt safe with him & he always protected me. We laughed a lot. And mostly stayed out of trouble. I loved him like a little brother.
They ended up moving to Odessa, his hometown. He got on with their PD. The marriage didn't last much longer.
Debbie ended up later marrying a younger soldier to see the world & had a little girl with him. I think that marriage made her appreciate Paul. She later married again & I lost track of her.
In the meantime, Paul met Lisa & they got married & had a son. I only saw him a couple of times after that. Lisa was very sweet & was crazy about him & that was enough for me. I was from the old guard & I didn't feel all that comfortable around her. It was me, not her.
Paul's birthday was in March & I went to tease him about turning 59 & saw people wishing him a "heavenly birthday". He'd died in June of 2022. He & Lisa had a place up near their son & I don't know the details but it sounded like a farm accident. I was stunned & I am heartbroken. He was a good soul, a good husband, a good dad, a good friend.
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| The Paul I know |
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| His serious picture |