Gumshoe wants to make one thing perfectly clear gentle readers, he is NOT an opera buff. However, it was four o’clock in the morning when an earworm awoke Gumshoe. ???

It was a funny song verse from “The Pirates of Penzance” playing on a repeating soundtrack loop between the synapses of Gumshoe’s brain cells: “When constabulary duties to be done, to be done, a policeman’s lot is not a happy one, happy one . . .”

This comic opera was written by Arthur Sullivan and William S. Gilbert and it premiered in New York City in December of 1879. Gumshoe was NOT there folks.

Gumshoe attributed this 0-dark thirty dream manifestation to Gumshoe‘s consumption of some very tasty and crispy left-over deep dish pepperoni pizza as the suspect catalyst culprit to this dreamscape soundtrack.

Okay then, begone and goodnight earworm!

Back to slumber for sleep-deprived Gumshoe as his personal earworm softly echoed, “ A policeman’s lot is not a happy one, not a happy one . . .” Zzzzzzzzz

Much later on that very same morning, Gumshoe’s earworm finally gave up the ghost but left its imprint on Gumshoe’s thoughts. Mr. Gilbert and Mr. Sullivan were right! A policeman’s (or a policewoman’s) lot is NOT a happy one.

In over four decades of police service, Gumshoe never responded to a radio call or was ever assigned to a case investigation that was a happy one.

Misanthropes abounded who committed evil and grievous deeds to be sure. Heart-rendering and soul-killing guaranteed for the uninitiated and naive young police recruit.

Picking up the pieces (sometimes literally) of victims’ bodies and dealing with their families’ shattered lives. The innocent as well as the most vulnerable were always the targets by the street predators.

That “Thin blue line” between predator and prey is REAL folks.

Grizzled veteran coppers would instruct us newbie rookies that if you wanted to be loved, become a “nozzle head” (fireman). NOT a street cop!

They were right just like Gilbert & Sullivan, a policeman’s lot is NOT and never will be a happy one.

However dear readers, real up-close and personal street cop work was never advertised to be fun and games. Police work beckoned in the past as it does today to still make that clarion call to exceptional guys and gals (who are truly altruistic) to “protect and serve”.

It’s like that Marine Corps recruiting call that summoned young Gumshoe: “The few, the proud, and the brave”. God bless the blue and keep’em all!

That’s the gospel for now folks. Always remember to love the ones who love you and try to love those who don’t.

Coram Deo!

PS: Gumshoe loves “Phantom of the Opera”.