As I sit on my porch at.....6:45 am, drinking coffee, enjoying a quiet smoke & contemplating why I hate early mornings. I realize that I will not miss this. I will not miss the early morning runs to the airport.....and a variety of other random military life.....stuff.
Although I would never regret or see my time as a military wife as a loss - I will not miss certain aspects of what it means to be part of a military family.
Here's a few thoughts....
Early morning wake-ups. Dear GOD I won't miss that. Of course, civilian life is filled with this kind of thing BUT my thought is this - it won't be a 'bag drag'. Those last minute, " 24 hour, grab and bag and GOOOOO'. And it won't be, " cheapest flight is at o'dark thirty' and the airport we have chosen is the the FURTHEST one away form your duty station. Have fun with that.
No. I won't miss that.
Always on call. No matter where in the world you are - you better have your phone, a pager, a set of orders, a distress flare, a light belt, and a point of contact. OK, maybe I exaggerate. But it is true that no matter where you are, someone must be able to contact you in case you should need to be called up for.....anything. Movie theaters, the gym, your vacation, the bathroom.....anywhere. I have been in the middle of a movie, 30 minutes form base and the damn phone rings.....within in minutes we are the couple that are 'quietly' moving through a dark movie theater and running to the car. Damn recalls.
Military uniforms. UGH. Wash, dry, crease, repeat. Blues - wash, dry, iron......shit, a double crease!!.... wash again.....dry again.....iron again.....name tag (exactly x inches above pocket)....rank....damnit on backwards......you get the idea. Will. NOT. MISS. IT.
Mandatory separations. TDY's, ViP's, deploys, 24 hour duty, missions...etc. Yep. Ain't gonna cry when that shit is over with.
Not to mention the short tours, the long tours, the moves every two years.....what will I do when I know we will be in a place longer than two years?? Oh yeah.....friends. lol.
Yeah. I'm not bitter though.
I will miss it.
But I won't be sorry to say Goodbye to the pain, anxiety and uncertainty that this base and station has caused.
I will happily turn around as we leave this place and wave goodbye.
Because sometimes Goodbye is saying Hello to something better.
