I had it all figured out. As an adolescent watching TV I saw the cops beating people at the Selma bridge, in my twenties a few of my friends were hurt during the police riot in Lincoln Park, Chicago during the Democratic convention and more recently I saw Rodney King and literally dozens of other stupid, brutal acts by police on the TV.
But just when you think you’ve got it wired, along comes a La Plata County Sheriff that, by an act of pure kindness, forces you to recalculate a life-time worth of beliefs.
When my car tire started going flat on CR 210 adjacent to Lake Nighthorse, I eased it over onto a big shoulder and started to pull out the spare, the jack and all the requisites. But before I could even get the jack under the car, a Sheriff’s wagon pulls up, the door swings open and a big guy gets out and asks, “how’z it goin’”? “Fine man”, I said, and went back to the job at hand, figuring he’d shove off quick enough.
But Sheriff Monty Albrecht wasn’t buying it. No sir. After a few preliminary remarks he was on his knees, reaching under my car to place the jack. He wouldn’t even let me hoist her into the air or swap out the flat for the spare. Old Monty Albrecht messed me up! Now I’ve got to re-think more than 50 years of assumptions. Thank you, sir.
Robert Rosenberg
Durango
