Thank God the Corned Beef is Safe

 Once in a while I get the urge for matzo balls, corned beef, etc., so I jump in the car and head up to Indy, to the most famous, best, and maybe the only deli in Indiana. I’ll pack up a cooler and bring back sandwiches, soup, a dinner or two. We’ll be in deli heaven here for a day or two. That’s what happened last week. 

 I wasn’t paying much attention, but as it turned out I was heading to Shapiros just as the Indianapolis Colts were playing their first pre-season game. That’s not really important except that they play at Lucas Oil Stadium which is two blocks from the deli. It was just luck that the game had already started when I drove past the stadium. I pulled into Shapiro’s parking lot and noticed about 10 police cars there. The cops were having lunch before having to return to traffic control when the game ended. After I placed my order in the take-out line, I went to sit down and wait for it to be filled. Standing next to where I was sitting, at the start of the cafeteria line, stood an impressive Sheriff in full uniform, gun, baton, cuffs...the whole megillah. I looked up at him and smiled and asked (jokingly, of course), “Are you guarding the corned beef?” Turned out this officer had a sense of humor. 

 The sheriff smiled and assured me that the corned beef was safe. We started to talk. It was interesting. He’d been on the force for 40 years and told me he was sick of it. We talked for a few minutes about the joys and challenges of retirement. Then I asked him why he wanted out, and he responded that the nature of the job in Indianapolis had changed radically. He said crime is rampant, that here had been two homicides in his neighborhood recently, and that cops these days were under the microscope. The respect that used to be associated with the position just wasn’t there anymore. Wow. I was amazed at how candid the police officer was with me, a complete stranger. He didn’t paint a pretty picture. But, at the end of the conversation, he reached over and shook my hand, thanked me for listening, and said, “Hey, I’m not walking away for another five years. It’s important work, and deep down, I do like the job.” 

 

On the way home, with the cooler packed, Paul Desmond playing on the CD player, I couldn’t help but think about that Sheriff. I thought about how dedicated and committed a person has to be to continue doing a very difficult and challenging job...and in this case, a dangerous one as well. It’s not often you meet a stranger who opens up to you and gives you important things to think about. It’s funny what can happen when you least expect it, while you wait for the matzo ball soup. When I talked with the officer I didn’t think fast enough to say, “I’m glad the corned beef is safe, but who's guarding the pastrami?”

 Ron