The general public comes and goes. So do mall cops and security guards.
Some guards stay for years, others work short stints & some are “no show”
Shifts start at sunrise, others at midnight. Double shifts are common, especially if there are “no shows” or a spike in activity be that good (a concert) or bad (a riot).
Where are they now? What becomes of them?
Some start school, others return to school or find careers. Some just drift away to parts unknown
They come in all sizes, colors, cultures and hail from all backgrounds.
What unites them? Why do they do it?
- To become filthy rich (not likely on a mall cop/security guard pay)
- Become famous. Only if you do something really stupid or really heroic on a national scale and end up on the evening news.
- Become a cop. A logical gateway to that noble profession.
- Meet members of the opposite sex or just keep busy and stay out of trouble. Too much of the first item on this list and you are likely to get into some trouble.
Last but not least (and most likely)….it’s to pay bills.
But over time, it’s a sense of camaraderie, a sense of dedication, a sense of “all for one and one for all” (like the ancient knights of the Round Table in the days of King Arthur and Robin Hood’s band of merry men).
In the end, it’s an understanding that we have each others back in times of need. We’re generally an invisible afterthought to the busy public. That is until an alarm rings, a fight breaks out, smoke fills the air, a shot is fired or a bomb goes off. We suddenly become important and appreciated. When things settle down and get back to normal (whatever that is), we fade again into the background
Dunn Writes Well 