From our Talkative Friends series. Also from our We make up series names as we go series.
If you haven't been there and have not watched TV, let the blogster tell you that the U.S. is a weird place at times. Several famous memes play with real or perceived weirdness and regional oddities, the most well known ones probably are 'Only in San Francisco' and 'Florida man'.
The vast majority of events and stories are never told or, if told, never written down.
This is one of them.
The man we are talking about was a corrections officer, and he had scar a couple of inches long in his scalp. His short hair meant he could not hide it under an over comb.
He would joyfully tell you of his long work as a mailman for the United States Postal Service and answer the question why he became a prison guard with a smiling: It is a lot safer. There are no guns in prison.
His dislike for guns was quickly explained. Having been robbed three times on his mail route and shot during one of these armed robberies, he had decided to no longer risk his life over some Christmas presents or social security checks.
So, he switched to working in a federal prison, admittedly the safest option among US prisons for guards and inmates alike. Guarding mostly pot heads and small time drug dealers nabbed through an endless chain of confidential informants, or snitches, and a few fraudsters and other white collar detainees turned out to be a good fit.
Coming from USPS, the gentleman was used to the vagaries of government bureaucracy but free from the baggage of physical and emotional violence that often accompanies ex military who believe law enforcement is a good career for them.
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