Persistence & Mentoring For free

This made me think of 13 years ago when I was 21 years old and decided to move to North Carolina to fulfill my dream of becoming a Police Officer.

I had wanted to do this since I was 12 years old.

Did I mention I was 4′11 and 3/4? Yes…the 3/4 DOES matter.

As you can imagine I was told by every person I came across I was too small. These dream stealer’s told me there was NO WAY, I could become a police officer.

They said no one would ever take me seriously.

I refused to buy into that negative thinking. I was out to prove something to them and myself.

From the time I was a teenager I read every book I could get my hands on having to do with Law Enforcement. When I graduated from high school, I went on to major in Criminal Justice and graduated with a degree in that.

A friend who lived in North Carolina told me they were looking for female officers in Durham. What? Leave my parents, siblings, friends, boyfriend, perfect little small town, sheltered life for a shot at my dream? You got that right…..

I was ready to GO.

My Mom and I drove from New York to North Carolina for my first interview in the blizzard of 1995. I didn’t care that everything was closed on the way down and that you couldn’t see what lane you were in on the highway. This was my dream, right? The drive should have taken 10 hours…it took 18.

When i made it there, there was no one at the police department to interview me. There was a blizzard… everything was closed…everyone was home. The secretary saw me come in and I told her I was there for my interview. That I had driven all night and was ready to go. I said, “If they don’t realize how bad I want this job now, their crazy.” She called around and found some people to interview me.

When I walked into that interview…NEVER once did I think that I would go in that room and they would see I was 4′11 3/4 and send me away. You see, in my mind I am SO NOT 4′11 and 3/4……I walk taller, you know what I mean.

Interview went terrific. I knew I was going to get the job. Two weeks later, I did.

My parents rented a u-haul, towed my old blue pick up truck behind it and drove me down. Halfway there, I told them to take me home. I told them I was scared. I told them no way was I going to do this. My dad said,” We are not taking you home. You will do this.” They stayed for a week to get me settled and then off they went.

I was left alone, only knowing one single person in the whole state. What was I thinking? This is my dream, this is my dream, this is MY dream.

I started the academy and it was hard. Yes, I was the smallest one in the class. Yes, I struggled with shooting a 45, with a 13 pound trigger pull. Yes, I knew that to pass I had to climb a flat 6 foot high wall and drag a 140 pound dummy out of a car. Yes, I knew I had to get pepper sprayed and teargassed….. but this was MY DREAM….and I AM NOT TOO SMALL FOR ANYTHING.

I was never so scared as the day I had to get over that wall. I couldn’t eat that morning. I was a wreck…but I kept telling myself…you have come this far…you WILL get over the wall.

I held my breath and ran towards the wall…..one of my instructors was there and he whispered,” You can do this,” right before I jumped and grabbed hold. My academy class was going wild, they were chanting my name, they were all with me..I KNEW I WAS GETTING OVER THAT WALL.

Yes… you guessed it, I got over that wall.

I was a Police Officer for 8 years and will always look at that as one of my proudest achievements. I never, ever gave up. I persevered.

Now, I have joined Mentoring For Free and have another dream…..look out cause here I come! All 4′11 3/4 inches of me!

We all have walls to get over in our life….but with persistence we all can get over them.

There are people out there out there chanting YOUR name. There are people out there whispering to you that “You can do this.” Be persistent and JUST DO IT.

Angela Bobal

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