who ARE you?

If you're a cop's wife, you are probably one private person -- or forced to be one! I know privacy comfort levels vary with as many different colors of LEO uniforms there are out there, but I just wanted to put out some thoughts about privacy as it particularly relates to law enforcement.

I've always been a somewhat private person, especially when it comes to the internet. It's not that I'm not willing to share information or "go deep" with someone, but I don't necessarily want to do it in the typically one-sided form of a blog. I always like to remind myself that anything I write I should be happy having discussed on the 5 o'clock news. So that's me, just for starters.

But now I'm married to a cop. In fact, I live within walking distance of his department, so it's safe to say I live within the jurisdiction where he works. Hm. Think about *that* for a while!! Just last week the kids and I were at the park, and hubs actually came along. (shock of the month!) He noticed that someone driving by slowed down and gave him a dirty look. Of course I was oblivious (or he was having an overactive imagination) but it really got him going. I just brushed it off -- I think I have hero-pedestal complex when it comes to my husband. I figured if it *was* someone coming after him, he would save us and we'd all live happily ever after.

I don't know about the "happily ever after" part but it should make you think... if anyone ever decided they wanted to retaliate against your significant other in the course of his/her job, what's a good way to do that? Get back at the family. How? Well, let's start with a web search. Do you want someone to do a quick search for your husband's name, then find your name, your children's names, the school they attend, pictures of the kids, your phone number, your address....? The list is endless. I'm guessing that if someone who actually *knew* me stumbled on this blog, they might guess it was me. My personality still comes through here. I also have another, "personal", blog but I keep that separate and I have never mentioned the line of work my husband is in when writing on it. It's easy enough to skirt around it and move along. Husband has been out on a walk with us at least once or twice and promptly ditched us as he saw one or another of his frequent clients, whom he didn't want to know that he belonged to us. It kind of makes sense, and when I'm sitting at home in the middle of the night by myself with only some cold steel under my pillow, I appreciate the pains he takes to keep things private and separate from work.

Finally, in case none of that made sense, here is a little bit of a "how annoying!" situation which is only partially related to privacy. I was at an open house a few weeks ago when the realtor (a young man, possibly even younger than me. yikes!) asked me to fill out my contact info on his sheet. I put my name and email address -- easy enough to delete, delete, delete, right? -- but he persisted and really wanted my phone number. I simply said, "No, I don't give out my phone number." To which he replied "I just want to follow up with you about some home buying information." "No, I don't give out my number, but feel free to email me." He had the audacity to say "Oh, look, I know you are married and have kids I just want to make sure I can provide you with the best possible service." He will never, ever get business from me, and my phone number will stay private, private, private!

Speaking of private numbers -- I got a google voice number!!! yay!! This way I can mark my little realtor friend as "spam" in my google voice inbox and never have to listen to him ever again. ha!