Gerri’s Journal – June 26, 2018

I sat recently at the corner of 17th and Main Street in Durango waiting for the signal light to change.  Suddenly I had a flash back of another time sitting at that same signal years ago.
An officer from the Durango Police Department rolled up in his cruiser, red lights flashing, jumped out in full uniform, over-rode the traffic signal and ordered the traffic to stop from all directions.
Wondering what was happening, I looked up to see a black hearse approaching the intersection with a long funeral procession following.  They turned at the intersection and headed toward the cemetery.  Nothing unusual about that I thought.  What was a profound site was the way that Police Officer snapped to attention and saluted the hearse and the family procession that followed.
I wept as I saw the intentional honor and respect that ‘cop on the beat’ displayed that day.  It touched my life back then and it still touches my life now especially amid all the disrespect our law enforcement officers endure today.  Mostly it repeatedly touches my life because that Durango Police Officer was back then “PD 130”, my son.