{"id":943,"date":"2020-05-01T10:35:42","date_gmt":"2020-05-01T14:35:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ramisalame.com\/blog\/wordpress\/?p=943"},"modified":"2020-05-01T10:35:42","modified_gmt":"2020-05-01T14:35:42","slug":"the-police-academy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.ramisalame.com\/blog\/wordpress\/the-police-academy\/","title":{"rendered":"The police academy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Photo by\u00a0Adam Kontor<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0from\u00a0Pexels<\/a><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In grade 3, my primary school arranged for us to visit the police academy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a wonderful trip filled with many events, including the mounted police demonstrating their horseback maneuvers and, the one that stuck with me, the canine team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The demonstrations took place on a patch of land that was set up to look like a street setting. The police dogs were so well-behaved and would help locate some hidden items under boxes and in trash cans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then came the part that wowed the crowd. One policeman dressed up as an assailant attacked the dog\u2019s owner with a knife. The dog jumped up in the air, bit the attacker\u2019s arm, and brought him begging to the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The actor playing the criminal had a very obviously padded arm, but we didn’t care that we could tell it’s an act. The drama and viciousness of the canine were enough for us nine-year-olds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Little did I realize how that day would change me for decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It happened very gradually. I started exhibiting small signs of fear around dogs. At first, I would just be around them without touching them. Then it got to where I would be extremely afraid of any dog within eyesight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, as I grew older and could analyze my internal dialogue, I discovered a teeny tiny belief that I had acquired at the police academy years back: I was convinced that the police used dogs because dogs can smell your guilt<\/em>. They just know<\/em> when you’ve done something wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This lasted with me for two decades. They say opposites attract but my ex-wife was also afraid of dogs. And she had it way worse than me. A real phobia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One day in 2010, we were walking into a supermarket in Spain. Outside the supermarket a giant dog was chained to a pole while its owner shopped inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My ex-wife was paralyzed with fear. She couldn’t walk past the dog into the supermarket. So I told her I would hold the dog while she went inside. I approached the dog and, with trembling hands, started to pet its head. “You’re gonna be fine,” I reassured myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nothing happened. The dog couldn’t smell my guilt (and by then I had done so many bad things in my life).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From that day onwards, I would continue to place myself between my ex-wife and dogs everywhere, or distract them while she passed by. Over the next couple of years, I got over my fear of dogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I guess you can<\/em> fake it till you make it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, could teachers please<\/em> take better care around children’s imaginations?!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In grade 3, my primary school arranged for us to visit the police academy. It was a wonderful trip filled with many events, including the mounted police demonstrating their horseback maneuvers and, the one that stuck with me, the canine team. The demonstrations took place on a patch of land that was set up to … <\/p>\n

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