MOODY, Ala. (WIAT) — The life of an overnight police officer is not an easy one. Just ask Sgt. Reece Smith.
“If you haven’t worked the night shift, it’s its own beast,” said Sgt. Smith, who has been with the Moody Police Department for six years. He is the overnight shift commander and works from 7 P.M. to 7 A.M., meaning that sleep comes at a premium.
“As soon as I get home I try and get to sleep because, I mean, you’re tired,” said Sgt. Smith. “You’re tired and you’ve gotta get home and go to bed.”
But a trip to the mailbox last week led to a surprising discovery. Smith found a note written on a crinkled old invoice by a landscaper named Rodney Green. At the time, Green was mowing a neighbor’s lawn.
The note read in part:
“If you will call me, I will adjust my cut time to accomodate your sleep schedule.”
Rodney Green, Owner of Green Lawn Maintenance
“It brightened my day up,” said Sgt. Smith. “I thought it was just a great gesture of kindness, really. It was him being a normal citizen and being kind.”
While the two men to this day still have never met in person, we caught up with Green at his store, The Bike Shop, in Leeds. Green tells CBS 42 that at one time, he too used to work an overnight shift.
“Sleeping during the day [is difficult],” said Green. “Especially [because the] lawn mowers, backpack blowers, and loud cars going down the street will wake you up.”
Each time Green came out to mow that one neighbor’s yard, he noticed Sgt. Smith’s patrol car parked in the driveway. That’s why he decided to leave the note.
“It was just an easy thing to do to be nice to him,” said Green.
Yes, it was easy. Yes, it was simple. But, it left an impact on Sgt. Smith. The note is still hanging on his refrigerator to this very day, serving as a constant reminder that we can all be nice.
Sgt. Smith posted a photo of the note to Facebook as well, and thus far, it has been shared over five thousand times. Both he and Green are hopeful that the note inspires a more caring and thoughtful world.
“Just use respect, it’s powerful,” said Sgt. Smith.
“Just be polite,” said Green. “Treat people how you would want to be treated.”
A powerful message, embodied in a note, written on a crinkled old invoice.
Not bad.
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