The Gift of Time

This year I was part of the STORMCo (Service To Others Really Matters) service trip to Cobar. One afternoon, our team was blessed to be able to spend time with Constable Chris, who has been working at the Cobar Police Station for the past few years. 

Constable Chris shared stories, answered questions and made it clear he was happy to address anything the students asked. He stated, “No such thing as a dumb question”. Everyone huddled around him and we were transfixed with his stories. He was generous with his time, used his radar gun to test who could run the fastest and even gave myself and a couple of other staff a ride in his BMW HWP car. 

One of Constable Chris’ stories stood out to me the most. He had clocked in a driver speeding 20-30km/h over. After pulling over with lights and sirens, he approached the driver’s window. He saw a man behind the wheel looking distraught, tears on his cheeks. He put aside his official duties and asked if he was okay, if he could share what was wrong. With this slight encouragement, the driver shared a tragic story that had just occurred at his home, and he was speeding on his way to end all the pain and loss he was feeling. Constable Chris called the ambulance service and waited with him until help arrived. I remember him telling us about the 'what ifs' running through his mind and how unsettled he felt about this close call. Constable Chris talked about how the encounter left a mark on him and he emphasised to our little group the importance of listening to our ‘gut’ and just acting. 

Sometimes the greatest gift we can give to others is our time. Time is irreplaceable. We cannot take it back or add more to our reserves. The time that Constable Chris gave our STORMCo team, and to that driver on a country road, is a reminder of how sharing our time and stories with others can have a beautiful ripple effect that touches many lives.

Mr Fraser Howard
School Counsellor

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