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Community Corner

Grundy Avenue Block Club Member Reflects On Life

He writes and waves his way into the hearts of the Sachem community.

The following is the first short story in a seven part series written by Gerry Schrang of Holbrook, who originated the Grundy Avenue Block Club. Schrang, now a retired New York City Police Officer, has written short stories on what he considers street life in his spare time for a large portion of his life.  

By Gerry Schrang

Dedication

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I dedicate this project to my best friends, my sisters "Retta" and Teri. If not for them, this pillar of granite would have crumbled a long time ago ... 

Introduction

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"To live is to function. That is all there is in living."

–Justice O.W. Holmes

I must start out my tale explaining the quotation above for it is true of everyone's life. I have seen all types of human beings, in every walk of life, and, yes, they are part of the big rat race we call living. The following stories are part of my life, the working part, but, in reality, it is my life.

Race, Creed, Color and Kids

What are little boys and girls made of? The answers are many: "sugar and spice and everything nice." Yes, but most of all, they are made of flesh and blood, just like you and me. I guess by now most of my co-workers know how I feel about kids, especially kids without the love of parents- a mom and dad.

We, the police, the great distributers of kindness and understanding, sometimes, through working with the low in the community, lose the human feeling that God gave us and we regard all children as "pains in the neck" or we use the old saying, "they will grow up to hate the cop just like everyone else." This may be true in some instances, but, in most cases, children look up to us as their protectors, "the good guys." We, above all other people in this society, must "GIVE A DAMN."

If I may, let me tell you my story. It's a true story, not to be misconstrued by you as a brother officer bragging, but more as you or I giving someone the chance to live as a normal, functional human being. It was a nice day, the sun shinning, weather hot and business as usual. A Spanish woman was getting off a city bus when she noticed a shopping bag move in the entrance to an abandoned building. We were parked at the corner awaiting our reliefs when she came over to us and told us what she saw. I went to investigate.

The four-story rat infested building was being torn down because it was about to fall down. I, too, observed the shopping bag on the ground move.  As I approached the bag, I heard a baby's cry. There, in the bottom of the bag, was an angel with a note pinned to her, saying: "take care of me. My mommy loves me. I'm 6 days old."

Good God. In this day and age, how could anyone leave a baby like that. She was beautiful, her skin the color of a rose, her body soft and silky.  I put her in my arms and went to the station house. In room 124, we made a crib out of a desk drawer for her and we started to make the usual notifications. She was then taken to the Foundling Home where she would receive the necessities of life. After many months of fighting and much money, the angel is now my Elizabeth Ann. A wonderful joy and a wonderful baby. I've often thought what her parents were missing, the most precious part of their lives, a new life, a child who, but for the grace of God, will grow up to be part of our society.

After approximately two years of being a victim of society's "red tape," I now sit back with my daughter and wonder about kids that I've seen in cribs in various foundling institutions throughout this great city and wonder if someday they, too, will have the chance to run in a backyard, go fishing with dad, or lie in bed at night and hear the words, "good night and God bless you."

Excuses are many, and in some cases, valid. But we, the police officers, who do give a damn, just by the very nature of our jobs, care about people regardless of "Race, Creed or Color."

Somewhere out there in our city is an unwanted child waiting to be loved, waiting to say someday, "my daddy is a policeman." Won't you give a damn?

Remember, a child does not know "Race, Creed or Color."

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