Andrew L. Cota, Jr., a former Derby police chief, recently published “Through the Lens of an Old Man,” a collection of essays on topics ranging from the interconnectedness of all living things to the underlying causes of addiction.
It’s a deep-thinking book, aimed to get people to think “about the relationship between the interactions of the physical, spiritual and psychological aspects of the human condition,” according to Cota.
Cota is scheduled to discuss his book 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18 at Derby Neck Library, 307 Hawthorne Ave.
The Valley Indy spoke with Cota about the book this month.
Valley Indy: As the son and brother of a police officer, I view you as a police officer. From my experience, police officers can’t be terribly introspective. And yet this book reminds me of something I would’ve been assigned in a philosophy class in college. Where did this book come from?
Andrew Cota, Jr.: “It’s a combination of things. About 25 years ago, maybe a little bit before that, I was very disturbed about things that were going on.
I was very involved with the church at the time. I was very curious, basically, as to why bad things happen. I wrote a manuscript, called ‘Invisible Realities.’ I sent it to a publisher and he sent it back and said ‘It’s too simple, you need to do more research on your subject, then publish.’ Well, 25 years after that, this is the result.”
Valley Indy: What was the motivation to write the book?
Cota: “I have this insatiable need to know what makes people function. What is it psychologically? What is it philosophically and religiously combined together that makes us who we are? Why do we have strengths? Why do we have weaknesses? What’s the connection?
As a police officer, you see a lot of things over the years and you start to wonder if there’s more evil in the world than good. I wanted to search that, get to the bottom of that. I recognize that no one is perfect, but can we move ourselves in the direction of being kinder people, doing things for other individuals, things that make for a good community?”
Valley Indy: Was there any particular incident or spiritual crisis of some kind 25 years ago that motivated you to begin asking the questions?
Cota: “No. I’ve always had a religious background. At that time I was very active with a (Catholic) charismatic prayer group. With that I was trying to see how that fit into my life and how things function together. What we do on a very small scale is actually the same thing that happens on a huge scale. So whatever someone can do to help themselves within their sphere of influence can help others.”
Valley Indy: Are religions today more divided than ever?
Cota: “I don’t know if they are. I think there’s an interplay from our everyday lives. We tend to think our religion is over there, separate from our everyday life. In reality, everything is combined. Everything fits into a pattern.”
Valley Indy: How many kids do you have?
Cota: “Two.” (Son Andy is an Ansonia police officer, daughter Chontelle lives in Bristol)
Valley Indy: Grandchildren?
Cota: “Four.”
Valley Indy: How old are you?
Cota: “66.”
Valley Indy: Tell me about the title of the book.
Cota: “When I first started a version of the book so many years ago, I didn’t have the same perspective I have now. I wanted to indicate that there’s some depth to this. There’s some wisdom, even though I’m not that old or not that young.”
Valley Indy: Who is the audience for this book?
Cota: “Anyone. You don’t have to be religious. I’m hoping to just trigger someone’s mind to think about themselves and how they interact and how societies act. Why do we act the way we do?”
Valley Indy: You graduated Derby High School in 1966. Did you join the Derby Police Department right after that?
Cota: “No, I spent four years in the Marine Corps. I was a mechanic for a few years and I went on (the Derby police force) in 1972. Thirty-four years later I retired.”
Valley Indy: Was police work something you loved?
Cota: “The important part of police work is that you can really make a difference. If you put effort into the job, you can change lives. Before I left we had done a lot of things with domestic violence issues.”
Valley Indy: Why that particular issue? Were domestic violence calls one of the things that personally affected you after responding?
Cota: “Absolutely.”
“Through the Lens of an Old Man” can be purchased through the publisher and through Amazon.
