LESSONS LEARNED

I was in sixth grade.  The teacher asked for people to volunteer for a special project of their own choosing for extra credit and a gift.  I volunteered to make a map book of the groupings of the States of the United States.  I had not finished it and became too tired to complete it before falling asleep.  I awakened about 3 AM to find the bright ceiling light on and my mother drawing a map page.  I asked why she was doing this.  She said, "When you give your word to do something, keep that promise if you are capable of doing it.  Do not just quit because you are too tired or too busy or too anything else!  Now get up and finish this map book!"  I did and I was the only boy in the whole class to turn in a project.  One girl did one also.  That was it...  Two out of forty.  The lesson was branded into my being forever.  Thanks Mom.

We were poor people living in a rural village.  My father had only a 7th grade education.  He was one of five sons and five daughters of a Farmer/Preacher.  He thoroughly disliked religion.  He loved to read books.  He worked for the Norfolk and Western Railway in positions from laborer to foreman in Maintenance of Way.  From him I learned to read for knowledge, enjoyment and adventure.  Most of the people with whom I am affiliated do not enjoy reading and do not read for any purpose if they can avoid it.  Reading has been one of my most important tools and I still love to read today.  I could never have been who I am nor have done all that I did if I had not learned to love reading, thanks to Dad and my teachers.

Speaking of teachers, I never had one I could not learn from.  I had some hard to understand teachers...  I had some boring teachers...  But I also had some very intelligent, exciting teachers.  The best ones I had were the ones who challenged me to do better and keep digging until I mastered the material.  My education began in a small two room school...  Moved to a two story multi-room school that burned down...  Then moved into the temporary buildings that replaced it including a renovated lunchroom and a wood shop.  For higher grades I moved to a country high school.  The teachers were good but the facility was the very same one my mother attended and still had the same classes.  What I needed for my future was not to be provided there.  What I needed was available in a city school much closer to me than the country school so I asked to attend there.  Since my parents did not live in the city and pay taxes there, My family would have to pay annual tuition for me to attend.  My working mother did it...  I do not know how long it took her to pay that cost but she arranged to do it and I am the beneficiary of that effort.

The advanced courses there led me into engineering, writing, dealing with people and eventually law enforcement.  After my skills and intelligence testing, the man said I was fitted for Engineering, Law Enforcement and being a Minister.  I thought that was funny and I laughed.  I was planning for Engineering.  I already had a job with the Virginia Department of Highways after graduation and I was getting married immediately after graduation so I needed a job rather than college.  I was too young for Law Enforcement so that could not be considered yet...  But Ministry???, I thought that was far-fetched and funny - me - a Minister - not from what I knew then...

But education has been a constant in my life from then on...  I learned Location and Design for highways and became a drainage designer.  I switched to Structural Steel and became a specialist in complicated structural components for bridges, buildings, conveyors and power stations.  Then I applied to the Virginia State Police and after receiving a miracle that showed me how to change my vision that had been ruined by close work, I was accepted and received basic training...  Was issued a high powered Plymouth Patrol Car and assigned to the worst 15 miles of four lanes, undivided US 1 in Prince William County.  I patrolled from Quantico and Triangle to the north side of Woodbridge and 55 miles to the west.  Education continued through five years of retraining until I left VSP looking for connection with God.  That search had covered almost 20 years at that point and would soon be achieved in March 1968...  Changing my course once again and bringing me into another new course of education both in Law Enforcement and Christianity.  Multiplied thousands of hours of study and achievement of several degrees in both areas still continue to this day.  I have learned that you can learn and achieve anything in which you believe if you set your mind, heart and talents to do the best you can while you pray, learn and look for opportunities.

Learn proper procedures and always use them!  They were designed to be used because some one got killed or injured doing what you do and the procedures were initiated to eliminate the injuries and deaths.  Restraints... Searches...  Never make an assumption.  Never slack off.  Do it so that you will still be alive to go home.  Always carry two cuff keys and two or more car keys.  Carry extra ammo...  Carry a backup weapon...  Carry a good knife...  Carry flex cuffs...  Carry a hobble restraint.  You might even want to carry an energy bar and some liquid refreshment of water or energy drink.  Sometimes assignments take a very long time without relief.  Even two large flashlights at night is a good idea...  Better to have a spare than none.

I have enjoyed my education and training immensely.  I especially enjoyed the firearms training with VSP where I fired Reising guns, Tommy guns, Trench guns and my 6 inch barrel .38 which was eventually replaced by a 4 inch .38.  Then my .38's we used here were replaced by S&W semi-auto 9 mm in single and then in double action.  Then we went to Glock 9mm and I loved to shoot the Glock for accuracy but I had problems with the split trigger and had to give it up.

Sometime in the early '80's I began to gather info on Stress Management.  Then I was engaged to instruct the subject for problem employees for one of the departments for whom I did instruction.  While developing the lesson plan I learned that I was in a Stress Burnout.  The education was immediately applied and I pulled out of the condition quickly and went on to teach Stress Management to police, military and civilians.  Learning Stress Management and learning how to deal with all of the people problems that law enforcement must deal with was the most important material that I learned for serving others.  Learning Defensive Tactics, Personal Safety, Pursuit Driving and Procedures for Proper Conduct of Law Enforcement business was a most interesting and useful set of education that paid me back in dividends of safety, success and enjoyment through all of these years of peace keeping. 

I learned that personal stress can kill you... Cause you to be killed...  Or cause you to kill someone else.  I learned that inattention can kill you or cause you to kill others.  I learned that stress in others can be most dangerous and can cause your death or injury as well.

I learned that proper procedure is designed to keep us alive and safe as we must go about performing our duties and that proper procedures will protect those with whom we must deal as well.  I deeply desire to impress upon you that all of this is designed to give you the best possible results with your efforts as a Peace Keeper.  If I could achieve anything today I would respectfully ask you to consider where you are and how you do all of the things that you do...  Meditate, deeply consider all things that pertain to your duties, actions and thoughts.  I would ask that you deeply consider whether there is any place you need to make adjustments for your own success and well being...  Or adjustments for the well being of those with whom you must deal.

NEVER STOP LEARNING!  NEVER STOP CHECKING YOURSELF AND MAKING WHATEVER ADJUSTMENTS THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR YOUR SAFETY, SUCCESS AND WELL BEING!  NEVER STOP RESEARCHING AND LEARNING BETTTER WAYS TO DO THE THINGS THAT ARE YOURS TO DO IN THIS WORLD IN PERSONAL LIFE AND IN PEACE KEEPING!

NEVER...  NEVER...  NEVER, EVER STOP LEARNING! 
THE FOUR STEPS TO WISDOM ARE...
DISCIPLINE,
DEDICATION,
EDUCATION,
APPLICATION!
WISDOM IS THE ABILITY TO PROPERLY AND FRUITFULLY USE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED.

The Apostle Paul wrote, 'I do not consider myself to have achieved it all yet. But… I press on toward the goal… ' (Philippians 3:13-14 NIV). Someone has said that the error of youth is to believe that intelligence is a substitute for experience...
While the error of age is to believe that experience is a substitute for intelligence.

The truth is, young or old, we must never stop learning and growing.
We must be content with what we have, but never with what we are.
Personal growth is like riding a bicycle; we're either moving forward or falling off.
In what areas of your life are you seeing measurable growth?
In what areas do you need to grow?

Growth only takes place when you confess your lack of it, commit to it, and work with it until it happens!

In all of this world there is no group of people more important than the Peace Keepers.  Without the Peace Keepers being there and doing their duties, we would be in a most difficult situation in our society.  Peace Keepers, THANK YOU for being there and for doing all that you do and have done.  THANK YOU ETERNALLY...  AND MERRY CHRISTMAS from my Commander-In-Chief and myself.  That means we wish for you to experience, happiness, joy, peace and mirth...  And be blessed as you do.

"BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!"  ALWAYS be alert, watchful, suspicious and wary.  Take the very best care of you as you care for and about others. See to the strength and well being of your spirit as well as all the rest of you.  Your spirit must be strong for you to be successful.

Call or write if I may be of any service... Or if you just want to encourage me... Feedback encourages all who write... It helps to know we are reaching someone who reads the message.

Donna is not doing well and the battle continues.  Thank you for the prayers and concern that we have received.

As it has always been... So it still is!!!

"VICTORIOUS WARRIORS WIN FIRST...
AND THEN GO TO WAR,
WHILE DEFEATED WARRIORS GO TO WAR FIRST...
AND THEN SEEK TO WIN."  Sun tzu

Training and practice are everything!
Without them, the best results are not obtained!

ONLY LIVE PEACE KEEPERS SEE THE VICTORY!!!
THEY SEE IT ONLY BECAUSE OTHERS HAVE MADE THEIR ETERNAL
PAYMENTS OF SWEAT, BLOOD, TEARS AND LIFE FOR THAT VICTORY!

 WITH THE DEEPEST OF APPRECIATION AND RESPECT...
BE BLESSED (A CONDITION TO BE ENVIED)...
BE SUCCESSFUL... BE SAFE...
[My injunction to be safe means doing all you know to do as you do your job... it means doing the best you can with what you have where you are using all your faculties to get the job done well and with good results conquering evil and keeping or restoring peace... it does not mean to avoid duty and honor... it does not mean to cower or allow anything to hinder you in the process of duty according to rules, law and ethics...  it means that if the demand takes your earthly life you destroy as much evil as possible in the process. 
That is my definition of being safe... doing the best you can and leaving the rest to God or whomever else is responsible... being best employed for the sake and protection of all the things and people that we hold dear.]

I represent, write for... and give the credit to:
God the Father (my Commander-in-Chief),
Jesus Christ the Son (the Eternal Captain of my life) and
the Holy Spirit of God (my Eternal Teacher, Keeper and Guide).
In Christ I live... with Him and for you I serve...
And I rejoice that you are there whether you are Christian or not...
For God, Country and the Peace Keeper...
D. R. (Don) Staton, Chaplain to Peace Keepers,
Surviving Peace Keeper,
Virginia State Police Alumni,
RETIRED Police Officer Virginia Beach Police Dept.,
Senior Chaplain and Administrative Chaplain VBPD,
DCJS Certified Police Instructor,
Community Service Officer (Traffic Safety) VBPD
Blackwater Alumni
757-431-2190, chpln1@verizon.net
3709 Beacon Lane, Virginia Beach, VA 23452
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