From “Julie’s Gems”: May 2002 (one more post before I go home for the weekend)

Why do nice guys finish last? For those of us in law enforcement striving to be the good guys, it is often frustrating that the bad guys get all the fame and glory. The year “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” came out, more kids dressed like Darth Maul than Jar Jar Binks for Halloween. Not that kids didn’t like the goofy humanoid-bunny-mule-thing, but they were more fascinated with the dark and creepy evil guy. Perhaps it is the power, money, and women most of the bad guys are dripping with. It doesn’t matter that they get defeated in the end because they are back again in the next movie playing another all-powerful villain. We can hope that children grow up and learn that even with all the bad guys may possess, their lives are in constant turmoil. But then why is it that as adults we are still attracted to the bad seed. It doesn’t matter that Mike Tyson battered his ex-wife, raped at least one woman, bit the ear of Evader Holyfield, and beat people with chairs (et cetera), the public is still paying as much as $10,000 a ticket to watch him fight. (Don’t even get me started on the popularity of Woody Allen, Robert Downey Jr., or Sean “P. Diddy” Combs!) Maybe I’m naïve, but I just don’t get it! Wow, did I ever get stuck on a tangent there! I don’t even have a cheesy point this time. I just wanted to encourage you all to be the good guy no matter how much attention the bad guy gets. Fame and glory are not as important as self-respect and being able to sleep knowing that, at least for today, you have no regrets.