Left Behind
Okay, for the twelve of you out there in Cyberspace waiting for the Yellowriter to post, your time has come. I really am way behind in all of this social networking, but I don’t mind at all. Living in 1975 (most of the time) has advantages for me. What has happened to me in the last couple of years is what will more than likely happen to many, you get left behind.
Being left behind is not generally thought of as a positive. We have a politically backed program called “No Child Left Behind.” In the military the code of honor demands that “No man is left behind.” I think it should now be “No One Left Behind” because of the growing contributions of females in the military. The point is that being left behind is a natural occurrence in this little deal we call life.
Lauren is our youngest and she just completed Basic Trainging in the Air Force at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. They taught her discipline, military bearing and integrity. Lauren will not be leaving anyone behind. I found it interesting to be back in the place that I had went to Basic Training at 33 years earlier. I got my bearings by finding the McDonald’s golden arches. In 1977, I would dream of one day busting out of that place and treating myself to a Big Mac and fries. I was the youngest in my flight and I did have my share of trouble. Lauren, I am proud to say, finished at the top of her flight, unlike me. So off we went to Texas to spend 4 glorious days with Airman Lauren. David, our son in the Navy, just got back from deployment in Kuwait and he flew over from San Diego and joined us. It was a great time. We did the River Walk, saw Avatar and a bunch of other stuff. The hard part was not eating all the junk that seemed to pop up before us at the mall. We saw the Alamo, ate, watched a movie, ate, took the boat tour, ate some more…I think you’re getting the idea. On Monday, February 1st, Lauren boarded a bus to go to Witchita Falls, Texas and Annie, Dave and I went to Seattle. At the end of four days, Navy Davey was gone and our house was quiet once again.
There is a peacefulness that comes around this time of year. Halloween precedes Thanksgiving and then it’s hectic for Christmas and New Years’. Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day kind of round out the craziness for us. So now we have to get a routine that doesn’t involve travel and parties. This is my 1975 time - it is simple.
Just as it is important to gear up for all the action, it is equally important to know when to take it down a notch and relax. Annie suggested I take a part time job. One looked kind of interesting, but the hours were 2 to 5. That’s my nap time…when I feel like it. The goal for today is to enjoy today. I want to make a joke about almost everything in my day. It feels so good to laugh. Sometimes I laugh myself right into a nap. Today I plan to finish this blog and walk/run five miles before the sun goes down. You might be saying, “Good luck with that,” but I will make it happen. I may even laugh about it later. I guess in all the hubub (is that even a word?) I don’t plan on leaving myself behind. If that means that I’ll E-mail or (persish the thought) snail mail someone as part of my day, so be it.
The moral of the Air Force story is that things really are not that different from 33 years ago. Sure technology is awesome, but wanna know what is even better than all of that electronic gizmo stuff? People. People are better. Put down your I-Phone and get to know a few of them. That’s what we did daily in 1975. And we loved it!