From the Residue of Communism to Freedom

Landing in London on July 7thin 2005 30 minutes before the initial explosion is not a memory to forget, even if I was only 7 years old when it occurred.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jan Krzysztof Zyndul. I go by the English equivalent of my name: John, and those who know me from Instagram know me as @shootinslav. I was born in Poland and lived there until I finished high school. After that I moved to the U.S. of freakin’ A. However, my journey with American culture goes back even further than that. Growing up, I had the opportunity to attend a private, international, English speaking school which modeled a lot of its programs and environment closely to a normal high school in the U.S., with obvious alterations to still make it a positive, high standard, and comfortable environment. So, my exposure to American culture began and continued from elementary school. While interacting with American ex-pats (people who lived in the United States but now live and work abroad) when convenient, I actively sought to learn more about their homeland and became fascinated with their culture. Something as simple as learning of their kinds of food, and also something as complex as their governmental structure brought me great interest and intrigue. Upon graduating high school, I moved to the U.S. as an international student. I am now looking to live here permanently, because I’ve only fallen more in love with America and that love continues to grow stronger and stronger over the years.

However, as difficult as it can be to move to this country, I still needed a full-time job or career. I knew that I didn’t want to live here on unemployment or flipping burgers for the rest of my life (not that there’s anything wrong with flipping burgers as a temporary job). I’ve played with the idea of many careers before I graduated high school, but one that always piqued my interest was that of law enforcement. It makes sense, actually, since it’s the career that my father had in the past and one that my brother has currently. The biggest difference for me would be starting that career in a completely different country (other than Poland) and in a manner that no other member of my family has ever experienced. However, because I feel so much more in touch with American culture, this decision was a no-brainer. It was actually less stressful to think about working in law enforcement here in America than thinking about working as a cop back in Poland.

The origin of my passion for law enforcement and the protective nature of the job is difficult to pinpoint exactly. I think the closest I can get to knowing when I wanted to work in this career field would be to think of when my mother, sister and I landed in London for a small vacation back in 2005. We arrived literally 30 minutes before the first bus explosion of the 7/7 London bombing terror attacks. In fact, it was a closer call than we even knew at that time. Later, my mom sat down and calculated that had my dad’s friend not picked us up from the airport we would have been on the tube (underground train) that blew up later when being transported from the airport to our hotel. That moment came really early in my life, but I was old enough to realize that there is danger and evil all around. I also realized that we can never know when that evil might strike, nor how severely it may impact us. As an adult my mother told me about seeing the horrible aftermath of the bus explosion on our trip to the hotel. She told me of the horror of seeing people with shrapnel in their faces and the shocking appearances of those rushing to their aid. I’m glad I was spared from witnessing any of that due to being asleep. I’m sure my mom was equally glad. I’ve only gone back to London once since then. This time I was a teenager and, comparing what the local cops looked like when I was six and a half years old versus sixteen years old, it was colossal. On my initial trip to London I remember seeing regular Bobs walking around in those funny (but kind of cool) tall hats. To me they looked relatively professional, yet casual at the same time. During the second trip, as soon as I landed and walked through the airport, I noticed everything had changed. The police were wearing all black. They carried an MP5 submachine gun slung over a load bearing kit (I can’t remember if it was a ballistic plate carrier or not) and a Glock pistol holstered on their hip. That’s when I realized that things like terrorist attacks have severe impact years into the future. I didn’t think that much of it then, but thinking about it now, I know that there is an incredible responsibility on anyone taking on that protective task of defending and patrolling in the public arena. We never know when our day of judgement may come. We never can be certain when those skills and abilities will be assessed and tested. That time of testing could be the difference between life and death.

An additional factor contributing to my desire to work in law enforcement and protect others is my experience at summer camps. During my later years in high school, I attended camps designed to simulate military selection processes and training for special forces. The camps were divided into various subdivisions: regular airsoft guys and, then, my favorite, snipers. We also were exposed to survival training, some paintball skirmishes, and some combinations of the aforementioned. Many of the instructors and counselors were either veterans or active military and they had a lot of great, useful insight and knowledge about the field. My experiences there further inspired me to pursue a career in being a defender of innocent lives. I went back there as a counselor right before moving to the U.S., and it was probably one of the best summers of my life. It was such an incredible and unforgettable experience!

Throughout my time stateside I’ve been able to experience American culture firsthand, both the negatives and the positives. I don’t want to dwell on the negatives too much, because there are many of them these days, but the biggest issue I saw (and still see) is that there aren’t enough people here who want to be responsible. I’m referring to the responsibility for defending and protecting others. I know this can be challenging, but there are also not enough people being responsible for themselves and I have a real problem with that. I think what we are missing today are men and women who understand the importance of being ready to defend others. Some people mistakenly confuse this preparedness as paranoia. I believe being ready for what may happen, instead of being surprised and scared when it comes, is very important. This is why I strongly believe in the Second Amendment. It’s not just for day to day defense against criminals, but it also protects us against tyranny. Throughout history we have seen civil wars and genocide. God forbid we have to endure those atrocities again, and the Second Amendment gives us the legal protection against such things. Enough negatives. One positive thing I value is still being able to find like-minded people who choose to be responsible for themselves, better themselves, and strive every day to become more capable of protecting their own life or someone else’s life. This is why I love the experience I’ve had with Lox and Company, Ltd. And it’s exactly why I was extremely flattered to become a member of The Loxmen Elite (Lox’s official affiliate program). They made me feel welcome and valued in a very unique community. Additionally, through marriage, I was also accepted into a wonderful family with a rich military and law enforcement history. This is yet another positive thing I like to focus on.

Today I am on track to becoming a police officer in a small and wonderful mountain town filled with amazing scenery. I really hope I make it all the way through the strict hiring process as well as the intense training academy. Then I will get the opportunity to walk the streets on patrol and give back to this nation that’s already given me so much. I was the last man standing after all six of the other applicants failed to make it through the initial testing process. I know that’s a good start for me, but I will continue to strive to do my best and not disappoint the department should they decide to hire me. By having a great support group like my wife, family, friends, and fellow Loxmen, I am confident I will do just fine.

Before I end, I want to quickly mention the subject of mental health. I’ve studied psychology in college, which gives me some useful information about the topic, but I am aware this does not make me an expert by any stretch. I don’t believe this topic is talked about enough, especially amongst men, and that’s why I’m bringing it up now. Men may fall under stress for many reasons. Maybe they feel as if they lack a purpose and don’t have that one big role they want. Or maybe they feel as if they’re dealing with too much in life. Men, whatever your stress level is at I want to let you know that talking about your issues is never a sign of weakness, but rather a sign of strength. I know therapy isn’t for everyone so don’t force it upon yourself, but it is a viable option. Consider having a friendly conversation with someone you barely know or a best friend. It can go a long way just to talk about deep and serious things for a little bit and just know that someone else feels the same way or that they’re just listening to you. Just that little bit of validation and communication can help relieve stress so please feel free to reach out to me or anyone else you trust if you need to just simply talk. Hit me up on Instagram anytime.

Be kind. Stay dangerous.

Stay Sharp. Stay Savage.®

Shootinslav out!

Closing remarks from The Godfather: 

I really enjoyed reading this short “auto-biography” by John and I hope you did too! I received an email from John a while ago. He was just a customer at the time (long before he was a member of The Loxmen Elite) and he was expressing how much he appreciated the values that we stand for and represent here at Lox and Company, Ltd. I remember I could instantly sense his love for America. I mean, here’s a guy from Poland who is attending a liberal progressive (nonsense) college in the States and he’s more patriotic than his sniveling classmates. He went on to express to me how he values freedom and family and is grateful to live here in a country where those values are protected. His email meant so much to me that I printed it out and it is now hanging on my cork board alongside other meaningful emails, cards, and notes that I’ve treasured and collected since starting Lox. My great grandparents came here from Poland and I appreciate the hard work and sacrifice it takes to legally and properly make something of yourself coming from another country in search of a better life. I am excited to see how God blesses John in his journey and career here in the United States of America.

-Dave Misiura, Jr.

Founder

Lox and Company, Ltd.