it finally happened. .

This is Philip Weddle. He was the friendly police officer who pulled me over (for the very first time in my existence) on Sunday afternoon after church. Turns out, he was the 2010 police officer of the year.

This is our exchange:

cop: “ma’am may I see your driver’s license and registration, please.”

me: (as I am putting my Wendy lunch down) “Well, sir, I don’t have my license with me, it has been lost in one of my purses.”

cop: “you do have a license, correct? It’s not be revoked, or suspended?

me: “OH, No! Sir. I have just lost it.”

cop: “Well, may then, I see your registration.”

me: (As I pause) “Sure, I will have to look for it, but, first, could you please tell me what that would look like, I have never been pulled over before.”

cop: describes the shape of the registration.

me: “may I look in glove box?”

cop: “Please, do you even know why I pulled you over?!”

me: stunned, I had not yet wondered, surprisingly answer. “No! In fact, I don’t know!”

cop: “Your tags are expired.”

me: (still thumbing through piles of mess) “Oh.”

cop: “did you know, or did you forget to renew them?”

me: “Actually, I didn’t know. That is typically my husband’s job.” pause the thumbing through of the paper and announce: “I don’t have the registration either.

cop: sighs. “Ok, Can I have your information, name, social, so that I can be sure that you have a license?”

Me: “sure” and I give it to him.

Cop: leaves me for what feels like forever.

comes back.

Cop: “let me explain your ticket to you and what you need to do.” but explains that since his hand was hurting, he chose not to write me a ticket for my not having my license with me.”

me: stunned I got a ticket, sign the paper, and drive away!