I know I talk about a “normal” family life in the beginning, but the truth is no law enforcement officer lives a normal life outside of work. There are a few professions where you never turn off work when you go home, and law enforcement is one of them. You do learn, over time, how to manage the level of effort you’re putting in. As an example, when I’m at work, my threat level awareness meter is a ten out of ten, but when I’m at the park with my kids, it’s a four out of ten. Law enforcement officers can’t help but evaluate their surroundings or evaluate the actions of others. We’re constantly doing threat assessments because that’s what keeps us alive when we’re at work. We don’t want to be caught slipping.