Another Policeman Story

At New Hanover Regional Medical Center we have these wonderful name badges that have 50 other things attached to the plastic clip that attaches to our clothing. I have the picture badge that contains a chip that will access any electronic door in the hospital. It has a card with all the codes listed and the appropriate response to a fire, code pink and a chemical spill. There is a card with all the necessary phone numbers that a chaplain would need along with all the other chaplain page numbers. It has a card with the NHRMC standards for communication and compassion ownership and teamwork. There is even a card with nothing on it but is of a greenish color so everyone who sees us will know we have been employed for less than 90 days. All of these badges collectively hang from a plastic loop that snaps into place with a nice name plate that proclaims CHAPLAIN in big letters. Some of us even have a key hanging from our badges that will give us access to the on-call office, the resident's office, and the all-important sleep room.

Needless to say, when this collection of important material is hanging from your clothing, it's a big heavy obstruction, so when I get in the car, it's usually one of the first things that comes off. Second only to my shoes.

For some reason on Tuesday of this past week, I didn't take it off. I guess I was in a hurry to get to Lowe's to give Daniel, my son, the card for his girlfriend's birthday so I could get home. It had been a super long day.

So, I'm traveling down my usual path to Lowe's on College Street from the hospital and get to the back street to turn in to Lowe's. There are huge barriers in the road, with the sign "ROAD CLOSED". It was closed the week before, but I thought maybe it would be re-opened by now. No such luck. On the one other occasion I had to go around this street, I had made a short cut through a bank parking lot to get to my destination so I thought I would do the same thing this day. The only difference was the bank was open now. But, I turned in, made my way around the parking lot and was heading out the back entrance when a policeman stopped the car in front of me. I wondered what he was telling us, so I rolled down my window in preparation for his rehearsed speech. As I sat, I heard the policeman ask the driver ahead of me if he had business with the bank. The driver told him he did not, and the policeman told him he could not use the driveway for through traffic and would have to turn around and go back out to the street.

DANG!!!! Here I was in a hurry and now I would have to turn around, maneuver through the traffic at the bank, get back on a busy street and go all the way to College to get to my destination. Another 15 minutes wasted.

After the car ahead of me pulled off and turned around, it was my turn to hear the words of the officer. He waved me to a stop, looked in the car, said, "Have a nice day, Chaplain" and waved me through.

Maybe I won't complain about the weight of the badge ever again. And I definitely won't cut through the bank parking lot EVER again.