Only what you can carry

So I was reading the paper the other morning and came across an article about a new computerized system that calls senior citizens who live alone each day to make sure they're alright. It's called "citzen's well check" and it's implementation was spearheaded by the Sherriff of Wake Couny, Robbie Harrison. Great idea. Cheap. Means a lot to a neglected part of our population. I thought it would be a good idea to make an audio documentary about this and pitch it to a local NPR affiliate like WUNC or somebody. So, I called the Sherriff's office and was directed to the PR lady who is very nice and she said she would be "pleased to set up an appointment for an interview with the Sherriff" and "could I be there next Wednesday?" Done.

So, on the appointed day, I go down to the public safety building in downtown Raleigh and am escorted in to the PR lady's office while the Sherriff finishes up another meeting. She's cheery. She's got her media face on and we chit chat about some stuff and I interview her about the program a little. Finally, the Sherriff is ready for us and we make our way in to his office. I do my little sound check and ask him the "wheaties box" questions. "What's your favorite music, color, etc." I get a good level on him and then start to ask him about the program. He's got his media face on too and I can tell that it's going to take awhile to put him at any ease about being interviewed. So, we beat around some bushes for a bit and it turns out, as is often the case, that the story I've come for is the least interesting thing on the menu.

As it happens, the Sheriff is way more interesting than the program I'm interviewing him about. This guy started his career on the highway patrol. O.k., that's fairly normal. But after he was done doing his day job, he was training dogs to track people at night. Frustrated by the rate at which the highway patrol was losing it's suspects, he took it upon himself to track them down with dogs that he trained himself. He and his dogs were so good, in fact, that he started getting calls from residence homes asking him to track down Alzheimers patients that had wandered off site. So, eventually, the bulk of his after work hours were spent (pro bono) finding missing persons. Now, a lot of people spend their free time doing lots of things, but it's usually the type A "driven" people who work for eight hours a day and then go home and work eight more. This guy is not type A and the only thing he is driven by is a desire to help people who can't help themselves. How rare is that?

Fast forward to his election as Sheriff. Harrison now has lots of responsibility and less time to devote to helping the community on a one on one basis. But he takes a simple idea with him to office. After having to take care of his ailing father who lived over 100 miles from him, he wants to develop a system that would automatically check in on the elderly and make sure that they were alright. Citizen's Well Check is born and in full operation less than six months after he takes office. The system is capable of making 1000 phone calls an hour and has a simple voice or tone activated system that the seniors use to let the Sheriff's office know that they are o.k. or that they need assistance. If they don't answer the phone, a deputy is dispatched to the scene immediately to check in on them. Brilliant. In addition to having the system in place, the Sheriff and his deputies check on the clients from time to time personally and do things like deliver Easter baskets and Christmas cards.

As the interview is progressing, Harrison is getting more and more animated as he speaks and his voice even cracks with emotion as he talks about the program and it's clients. And as I'm listening I find myself being totally drawn in. I realize that I'm sitting in front of, not just a civil servant, but a truly good man. And I think "Holy shit. There just aren't many guys like this around." Sure, there are lots of people who do good things out there, but this guy is different. You can feel his passion for what he does. He knows he's helping people and he absolutely loves it. It's what he gets up for every day.

As the interview winds down and we say goodbye, I start to feel a little melancholy. After you talk to a guy like this, you can't help it. You feel a little like a bum and a lot like a slacker. He's making a difference. He's part of the solution. What the hell am I doing?