Just Write!

When I was in college, I had a few night classes for my major, and these classes turned out to be among the most formative of my college career. The professor was a twenty-five year veteran of the Chattanooga police department, then retired to teach eager Criminal Justice majors like myself.

            Marc Easley stood out from other professors. Right out of the gate he insisted that we call him by his first name. Not Mister This or Professor That. Marc. He said we were adults and he would treat us as such, so long as we remembered he was in charge of the class.

            Most of these classes were conducted in an informal setting, based around learning about real life scenarios, then discussing different possible outcomes. Throughout every discussion, without warning, he would set up a scenario then call on a random student.

            “You’re the officer on the scene. What do you do?”

            The student – me included – would stutter and stammer. What would we know about addressing a school shooter or talking down a domestic violence offender?

            Marc wasn’t fazed. He’d snap his fingers. “Come on, you gotta do something. Don’t just stand there. You gotta make a decision – right or wrong – but you can’t do nothing.”

            That’s stuck with me in the years since. Inactivity isn’t an option. Sitting around thinking about the decision to be made is worse than making the wrong decision. Sure, there’s a time to contemplate a weighty choice, but you still have to act.

            We all got better at giving quick answers, even when they were the wrong ones. Then afterwards we’d discuss possible alternatives. As the semesters wore on, we all got better at being prepared for the best solution. We became more confident in our common sense as future law enforcement officers.

            Though I chose a different career path, I think the same lesson still applies. I often find myself staring at my computer, thinking about what should fill the page, but I often step away. I don’t know what I should write, so I just don’t write altogether.

            No more excuses. No more indecision. Even if it’s garbage, I’ve still got to write. Then, the more I write, the better it’ll get.

            Someday, I’m sure I’ll look back on this and cringe a bit. I hope I do. But I hope I smile as well and see how far I’ve come. All thanks to Marc Easley.