Growing up, my dad was a Connecticut State Trooper and then retired when I was 14 years old. Up until only 6 years ago, that was all that I was used to.
People would ask all the time, "What is it like having a dad as a cop?" To be honest, I really didn't think anything of having a dad in law enforcement. If anything, I knew I had the coolest dad ever and was always so proud.
There were always so many sacrifices and things that he did to protect not only my family but other people around him.
There are way too many stories that I have that I could include in this post. However, some that I can say are that I grew up thinking it was normal to watch my dad shine his work boots, getting your glasses stuck on his badges when giving him hugs and punching his bullet vest as hard as we could to see if he could feel it or not. Apparently, not everyone grew up familiar with these kinds of experiences.
Here are 8 things that I thought were normal growing up as a state trooper's daughter:
Having more than 1 cruiser parked in our driveway
Luckily we lived in a neighborhood where every family knew each other but for anyone who didn't know us, I'm sure it could come across alarming. Meanwhile, for my family, it was just a typical get together for dinner or a Sunday with the Patriots playing
Mugshots
Visiting my dad at work for lunch/dinner was always the best thing ever. Who doesn't love stopping in to see their parents while they are at work? My visit would first start off by making sure dad wasn't on a call or busy, we would than usually pick up a pizza. My sisters and I would think it was the best thing ever when we could get Brisk Iced Tea from the vending machines that were in the kitchen at the troop. We would than visit with my dad's friends, check out the dispatchers office and if we were lucky, if no "bad guys" were in the cells in the basement, we would go downstairs and take mugshots. Of course we had to look very sad as if dad had just arrested us
What do you mean riding in a police cruiser isn't normal?
I didn't think anything of having this car, but to other people, it was unusual to see a whole family in one (believe me, we got very concerned looks many times). My sisters and I were especially always so amazed with the controls and the laptop in the car. However, our favorite part was to always beg our dad to say something over the microphone as we stood on the drive way. We thought it was the coolest thing ever.
Meeting the Connecticut State Governor
I'm lucky enough to not be the only one that considers my dad a hero. Long story short, my dad saved a girls life one day as he was working a highway construction job. A teenager was involved in a head on collision. My dad had been parked on the side of the road with the construction crew when they all had heard the crash and saw the smoke. My dad then went running over. He tried to keep the fire down off of the girl until the fire department came. Meanwhile, he was trying to keep the unconscious girl's airway open because she was bleeding out so much. The girl ended up sustaining serious injuries. My dad was than awarded a life-saving award from the department and the very next day, the governor was calling because she wanted to meet him and his family. That's when my family and I all went to the capital, met the governor and my sisters and I were given little Uconn husky stuffed animals by Jodi Rell herself.
Is dad nocturnal?
If my mom had told me that my dad was nocturnal, I would have believed her, no hesitation or questions asked. With being in the law enforcement, there comes night shifts. My sisters and I would always have to be super quiet by going to play in our playroom in our basement or go outside because dad would be sleeping during the day.
Getting out of speeding tickets
Having a dad as a state trooper comes with the perks of being able to help friends and family out. Not to call anyone out (sorry mom) but at times, even just saying who dad/her husband was, definitely made things a little easier to say the least
One of the many memories that make me laugh
My sisters and I didn't think anything of being dropped off at soccer practices or taking our dads cruiser to go get ice cream. For us, that was just "dads car." One time, my dad was picking me up from a horse back riding lesson and I remember my instructor being so confused on why a state trooper was pulling in to the entrance of the farm. I just smiled and responded with "that's my dad!"
One big family
Growing up, we were very familiar with dad's coworkers and all of their families. Being a family within the law enforcement feels just like a smaller piece of an even bigger family. I not only had 1 dad but at times it felt like I had multiple ones always watching over my sisters and I. There is even a monthly magazine for troopers that recognized when my twin sister and I were born. Being a part of an extended family like that will be a piece of my childhood that I wouldn't change for anything.
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