Five Little Things

I’ve had the privilege of serving my country on what is now my third consecutive deployment overseas; this time Afghanistan.  It truly is a privilege but with obvious sacrifices. 

Leading up to one of these missions you tend to be so busy getting ready and making sure your family is ready that you don’t really appreciate all the small things you’ll give up.  Even once you’re here it takes a while before it really sinks in because you’re going 100mph just trying to get integrated and into a routine.

I can tell you that more than anything I miss my beautiful wife and the kids, who’ve been on my mind since the orders for this mission came down.  Now I’m at that point in this deployment where things have settled enough that you can take a few minutes to appreciate the little things that escape your attention when you’re caught up with the ‘getting here’ process. 

<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.       <!--[endif]--> The neighborhood coffee stand – it’s on the way to everywhere I go, whether work or on errands and each time I stop by I’m greeted with a smile and a new blend of fantastic coffee.  As a stop-gap some great folks from around the U.S. have been sending in flavored dry creamer in by the box-load but there’s nothing like a quick trip up to the corner to pick up two coffees to go.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.       <!--[endif]--> Satellite Television – Could be just that it’s fall but this is getting into peak sports season with the Tigers baseball making the playoffs, the Michigan football program is turning things around, lots of optimism with the Detroit Lions and plenty of hope for Red Wings hockey as they begin their season shortly.  While AFN provides some programming here, there aren’t anywhere near the choices available and no way to DVR the games I would want to watch.  Don’t even get me started about being 9 hours ahead of the rest of you.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.       <!--[endif]-->Home Depot / Lowes – nothing I like more than do-it-yourself projects but at the moment a 2”x4” is a premium item here in ‘the Stan’.  Of course even if I did have the lumber there is the issue with the correct tools; I have none.  Another issue is if you forget something when you do put in a purchase request, it could be months before the subsequent order arrives.  The part I miss most are the nice people in both stores; always ready to help me navigate the massive aisles.  The money guy here is not a very nice bloke at all…the guy has a perma-scowl that rivals mine.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.       <!--[endif]-->Room to relax – there are three of us in a room that is about 6’ x 15’.  We’re crammed in with all of our gear and the few personal items we were allowed to bring.  I know of prisons that offer better living conditions but you know, it’s okay.  Still, I miss my massive master suite with huge bathroom and walk-in closet.  I really miss the garage, where I tend to spend a good bit of time tinkering with projects and fixing bicycles for the twins.  Both are places where I can get time to myself and relax.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.       <!--[endif]-->My kitchen – weird hearing a dude say that?  I’ll tell you what though, one of my favorite things to do on the weekend is pull some recipe out of cyberspace, hit the grocery store, and get to my own culinary laboratory.  Most times it works out well enough to be edible but the process itself is always interesting.

So there are my five little things, the small stuff you don’t think about when you’re in the midst of going away on a deployment or extended trip.  What might have been interesting though would have been to list the five small things before I left…food for thought and brings the obvious question; if you were to pack up and go away for work for the next year, what are the five little things you would miss most?  And if you have deployed, what were your five?