Lessons from Key West-Volume 5

Since I'm staying at a Hyatt Vacation Club property, the other people who are staying, similarly are here for the week. The pool here is a beautiful oasis, surrounded by tropical flowering plants, large palms, and ample open space to allow for "sunning" from about 7 AM-6 PM. To add to it's appeal, the pool area faces the west, sitting right on the harbor, so the sun sets just beyond the pool patio framed perfectly by the lush vegetation. It's almost paradise. Almost...

This week there were two guys, both accompanying their wives, both in law enforcement. One is a NJ municipal cop, the other a sheriff's deputy in Baltimore County, MD. You ask...how do you know this, did you engage them in conversation? No, I simply staked out my chaise lounge every afternoon for about 90 minutes. Just long enough for the testosterone-fest. Ninety minutes was about all I could take.

In their defense, from the time we are young, men are conditioned to compete, to try to prove themselves as masculine, in control, "masters of their domain." Male peacocks strut, male bluebirds, the more colorful of the species, prune and pose for their mates. Apparently male law enforcement, particularly those from Jersey, need to share their victories as police, neighbor, husband, person...you name it. Feeding off the need to compete with the sheriff's deputy from Baltimore, who was drawn daily into the "who can tell a bigger whopper" fest, the two of them spent every afternoon trying to one up each other and doing so at a volume that everyone at the pool could hear.

I was reminded of more than a few weekends at the fraternity in college, when we would inevitably need to one-up our brothers in telling of our high school antics and victories at sports, dating, and life. I guess many of we "guys" have been susceptible to the temptation to prove ourselves publicly. But really...com' on guys, you're in your 40's, maybe older?

Perhaps I could have opted to simply ask them to call a truce, but I simply opted most days to walk away. It was a reminder that humility, especially public humility is a virtue I admire and will continue to strive to practice in my own life. While I admire the work these guys do, especially after hearing some of their stories, and the sacrifice they make to serve and protect...I guess I would have appreciated a bit more modesty.