My introduction

I am a 53 year old male who was raised from an infant by my grandparents who moved from Virginia to Washington DC for a better life. My Grandparents, father side was African American and my mother side is Indian and Irish American. My grandfather was the operations manager of a brick mason company. I learn everything about construction from him. Most of the rest of the family siblings are in construction for a living. I stated a career in law enforcement at the age of 17. Under LEA I attended American University. My background as a Police Officer is Crime Scene Investigation (CSI), as a Senior Forensic Specialist. I retired from Washington D.C. Police Forensic Unit in 1999. At the same time I ended a twenty-year marriage. I moved to Las Cruces New Mexico after being recruited by the Forensic Unit of their Police Department. I worked for them for a year and then return to Washington. I went to work for the Justice Department as a Deputy US Marshal providing protection for the Attorney General. I stayed there for a couple of years. I am now a Police Officer with the Library of Congress in charge of their Property Control Office. My three children are interracial, (Irish/African American); one is living with his mother. I have a grown son and daughter that live on their own. I love cooking, the outdoors, sports, music (all types), and traveling. I love animals, however I don't have any now. I also love driving my BMW motorcycle down backcountry roads. Over the years my career has open my eyes to the human experience. It has humble me from what I have seen. When you can look at anything and always see something to love and treasure, that is when enlightenment is within your grasp. If you seek to be acutely realistic, then focus on the positive possibilities. For though there is a downside to life, it is far outweighed by the upside potential. The loving, creative, positive side of life has no such limitation, for the more it grows, the more possibilities it creates. I know the ability to connect with someone is a treasure by itself. For every door you close it starts another journey in front of you. I want to know ones passion for life, and share mine with them. In doing so we continue to grow. Listen to this true story. A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in Target. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence. It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down the spout. We all stood there under the awning and just inside the door of the Target.We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried day. I am always mesmerized by rainfall. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running, splashing as carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day. The little voice was as sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in "Mom let's run through the rain, " she said."What?" Mom asked. "Let s run through the rain!" She repeated. "No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit," Mom replied.This young child waited about another minute and repeated: "Mom, let's run through the rain," We'll get soaked if we do," Mom said."No, we won't, Mom. That's not what you said this morning," the young girl said as she tugged at her Mom's arm. This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet? "Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, 'If God can get us through this, he can get us through anything!" The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn't hear anything but the rain. We all stood silently. No one came or left in the next few minutes. Mom paused and thought for a moment about what sh