Crime Scene Investigator

Star Trek has followers known as Trekkies and Rush Limbaugh has ditto heads, but I"m not sure if there is a name for me and my obsession; if it is an obsession.

I guess my problem began at the first BONG in the lead in music to Law & Order. It is recognized by all. I watched the original series and was one of those who tuned in to see what was happening in the lives on the streets.

My love for a good crime story was later fueled by the Steven Tyler like scream that followed the red haired man as he put his trademark shades on in the hit show CSI:Miami. The late night comedians would have their fill of making jokes at the red haired man who promised to find the killer, but the t.v. show's ratings proved; we believed his promises and held on to the end until he delivered.

I would graduate from just finding a killer with random bits of DNA left behind to profiling the killer by looking at victim's positions or the material the killer read or music he listened to. I fell in love with Criminal Minds.

These shows began to infiltrate my life. I found myself wanting to seek justice for the people who cried victim in my everyday circle. I walked into places and took note of areas that would be great potentials for harvesting DNA. Oh, yeah, doorknobs were the first thing I noticed entering and exiting buildings. Cups behind left next to chairs would send someone up river fast. Later, I began to notice people's mannerisms wondering what kind of childhood trauma they had suffered and what kind of people they would probably kill.

I became the number one investigator in my home. If my husband lost his keys, I would almost seal off a crime scene, look for witnesses to question, and go through his daily habits. When I ventured outside for exercise, I looked at tire tracks and insect markings trying to determine who-what-when the perp had been in the vicinity.

I honed these skills telling my family how valuable they will be if there was a war or some kind of natural dissaster. I believe my crime solving skills will be valuable for foraging for food or for supplies to survive. I also think my hightened knowledge of criminals will help me know who to trust and who will cut off my head for a candy bar if the times called for it.

For all of you thinking I have lost touch with reality, let me assure you this post is just in fun and is intended to pay homage to the great crime shows; which I do love.

Television has allowed us to step into places and careers we only dare dream about. The downfall is when we really believe we are qualified to inform and assist others in these fields when we do not have the proper training. I can speak the lingo of an investigator and impress maybe a handful of people, but I know; that is as far as I can go and want to go in a field that deals with criminals.

As with politics, many of us have become armchair politicians and sad to say we think we have expertise in many other fields as well. But just as I have acknowledged my lack of qualifications as a CSI agent, hopefully we give politicians a break, ministers a break, and others who have chosen a career we all believe we can do better or are quickly to give advice to.

Hopefully our access to information on the television and computers will be used wisely making us smarter but not dumb enough to lead us to believe we can know everything.