Another Year, and an inspirational Speach

Another year, and still more changes.

I know, I’m not very good at keeping this blog updated, but I could not see the point in having a long running commentary about my life. No thanks. But even still, I have a blog, might as well use it a bit.

My views on military life has not changed, in fact I am finding I like it more and more. Like any path in life, there are bits I dislike, but like all others I get over it and move on.

I was actually looking back at some of my previous posts…It was horrifying to see so many grammar errors and…how different my attitude was back then. The amount of complaints and similar bits in my Vacation postings was horrifying, and then my physical condition…well that left much to be desired. Thankfully Military sorted out the physical…mostly. As for my writing…well I get better at that as time goes on and I learn.

From my last post I will state I did finally leave Tech School and am now doing my actual job. There are bits I dislike, but like stated earlier that is the same no matter where you go. But for the most part I do greatly love what I do. Even on the days where it seems I don’t, I do. It’s a weird thing, but it works for me for the most part.

I have more than just my actual job to do. Even as a military they expect you to advance within your job, it takes work and while I have advanced in some areas there are others I am still working on. But once that is done, I will have some room to breathe and concentrate a bit more on some of my personal goals.

That is another thing I am liking, the military wants you to set and achieve personal goals. They see it as the best way for you to advance, for as you excel in your personal life, you will be able to bring what you have back to the force and improve all. And also so that when you leave, you are more set up and ready to go.

Now some of my goals aren’t so academic in that regard.

One, technically two and currently the most expensive, is to fix up my vehicles. Yes that S is meant to be there, I own two vehicles. One kept dying on me thanks to bad electronic jobs; the other has a broken piece (it is still drive able, I just need to mind how I drive) that I got when I became fed up with the electric problems. Though recently the one with the electric problems…while we figured out the source I decided to go and give it some body damage and make it slightly more worrisome to drive until fixed (and that is NOT cheap). So that needs done…

The other is slightly better and a bit longer term, I am aiming to build a really good desktop computer. It’s going to be awhile, but I have no problem with that, I planned on that from the beginning.

I have several more goals laying around, some are more academic others not so much. But it is life and I am working on it all.

Though given world events…I sometimes wonder if I’ll get to achieve some of those goals.

*Warning: Inspirational Styled Speech ahead. You have been warned*

A lot has happened in the last year, and even more is coming. There is a lot I don’t keep track of, what I do is through the news that I see at work (my home TV doesn’t like me at all), through family, or through Facebook (and then I go and research after that just to figure it out sometimes). But what I do see…we are having problems.

The rather bad Iran Deal (the idea is good but the implementation was bad). The shootings throughout the country. The growing strength of hostiles the world over. The growing unrest here at home.

It’s bad. And there are many, many times when I wonder how long is it going to be when I have to be afraid to exit this base? When I have to take worry if I’ll even be on this base tomorrow. When I really have to dive into my training just to get through the day.

There are many days, when instead of joking with friends, I worry about this and think, “What is coming? And when is it going to get here?”

Some say that is my job, and to a degree that might be true. But I am still a person that wants to see the best in the world when I know it is filled with horrors. I don’t want to have to think about who I know that might be here one second and gone the next even though I just saw them a few minutes ago and now their dead because of someone else’s decisions.

Others will say that is the world we all face. If so…you don’t know the military.

To be a member of an armed force, to be a member of the public services, that means that every day we got out and have a target painted squarely at our backs.

Look at the last few months, weeks even. Policemen, servicemen, shot for wearing a uniform, a target (And there are protest that have encouraged this). Recruiting stations and a guard base in Tennessee, attacked. All because they were servicemen who chose to service so that others may live peaceful lives. We wear the Target, so that you have the opportunity to not see the horror.

And when the public sees the horror…they only see a small portion, sometimes the most horrifying and least common…and things get worse. From such a small snapshot, a snapshot that doesn’t always show the whole picture, the world darkens just a little more

I live in a dark world, a darker world that most even realize, and I fear, almost feel, it getting darker. But I will cling to the light I have left with all I have and I WILL fight for it! For though I have a target on my back, I am a member of the United States Military, and this target will not go silently into the night, I will fight with all I have to keep that light. For if I have light within me, no matter how small, no matter how fragile, I can share with it others so that they too may come out of the darkness and see the beauty in this world and in its people.

Some say that we are moving forwards as a country.

But how can we when we strike those who strive to protect us?

How can we when we chose to only look at what we hear and see from the small snapshot and not truly look at the full picture to understand what is REALLY going on?

How can we be moving forward when all we are doing is looking behind us and living in the past?

How can we? When we really should be looking at those around use, and work with them to heads towards the future, to tomorrow!

It’s a dark world out there, and I’m just one light fighting with all my might to hold back the darkness. I know there are others, but we all shine in different colors and different shades, and many do not shine together. We few strive to hold back the darkness together when we find each other.

Much like the old saying goes "United we stand, divided we fall.” So to do our lights, by ourselves we will hold as long as we can, but we will eventually be stuffed out.

Be it from giving up the fight, from falling from grace, from misguided paths, from losing the will to continue on, or to taking that last load and being stuffed out completely.

I stand with the few lights I can find, and we’ll strive to keep back the darkness, but we are few. I know there are more out there, and if enough came forward we would shine like a star in that darkness. Casting light into the far reaches of the world, showing a beautiful image. And though we may fade, like a star, the death of one star gives rise to many more, so while we fade the younger generations will shine where and when we cannot.

I hope more will join us, you need not be a service member to be a light. Merely a positive voice, inspiring others to do what is right, not from a small snapshot, but from the whole picture. A picture gained from looking for all the facts and not taking everything at face value. By being a good person, one who cares and supports for those around them as best they can.

I fight this darkness by protecting you, but you are my fuel source. You are the reason I keep shinning in this darkness. I cannot do this alone, so please don’t make me. Shine with me, and help us show those around us that they darkness they see, that surrounds them, is fleeting. Partake in them some of your light, the light I hope I have shared with you, so that we may all stop living in the past, and starting moving towards tomorrow. A beautiful tomorrow lit up by the light a star.

*Inspirational Styled Speech done*

Now, with the inspirational portion of my mind complete. I look forward to the future, while enjoying today. I have done a few things here and there to stay busy, and I have been working towards my goals more and more. I will TRY to do better at updating these. Heck it might make get my head back into the many stories I’ve fallen out of typing lately, I do hope.

But until I post again, I wish you all happy reading, and a good life. Shine on.

Over a year...

Been a long time, I haven’t really felt the need to type something like this. But right now my mind is awash in a sea of words and thoughts. Many venturing back as far as my last post. A Post made many months over a year ago. And much has changed in that year.

The main change is what I feel the biggest of importance. I had eluded to it several times during that long list of posts but never said it. Now I can and will, in February of 2014 I joined the United States Air Force.

The joke amongst several other branches is that we are “the chair force.” I can sort of shrug and say, “Depends on your job.” Though I will easily say that Basic was no joke. It may have been the shortest of the branches, but that did not make it easier.

When a person joins the USAF they are still joining the military. There are standards, honors, traditions and images we have to uphold. This means we have to learn what it means to be a military person. Some honestly cannot stand it, they break and leave. Others find that while their mind is in it, their body refuses to let them and breaks down or just won’t work the proper way, they too leave.

But for those that stay through it all, those that stick around even after getting injured, those that can suck it up and make it through…we are the ones that gain the honor to call ourselves members of the United States military. A mighty group of men and women who give many years of their lives so that others can have a much more peaceful life.

Basic may not have been has I had imagined it, but it was what it had to be. And to any who read this and think about joining…well I hope this helps make up your mind.

From the moment we got there, all were put to standards. All were put to orders and guide lines. It can be said that only those that have gone through basic can ever describe what it is like. If someone else tells you that did not go, then they don’t really understand. Each branch is different but Basic Training has only a few goals: Strip you of your “civilian”, discipline you, and fill your mind with the basic knowledge you will need for your military life, and sometimes beyond.

I can and will say, the succeeded. I notice it near every day. Sure we there are those that seem less so, but for the most part, it keeps.

Even still…each basic experience is different, mine was a tad unlucky. I was part of the last group to get to the “gather” point let’s call it. There were a few problems with different things happening. And lastly…I got to be part of one of the last flights to get sent to the place we would call hope for the next eight weeks. It was late for me, but for others it would be considered extremely early in the day, and there was much to do before we were finally able to get to sleep.

One major misconception about basic is that they don’t let you get enough sleep. Completely wrong. First night the Flight I was a part of got in late, we slept until almost lunch, played havoc on my internal clock and thus kept waking up throughout that time. And even after, all of the weeks later we got a time slot where we had the chance to get plenty of sleep. If we got a full night of sleep was a different matter. There were a few jobs we had to do at night, but thankfully those were shifts allowing us to very who was up at those times and still get plenty of overall sleep.

I will admit basic did involve a lot, a lot, of yelling. For different reasons over time, a stupid mistake here, a constant mistake there, a point that simply needed to be made, and even disappointments that should not have happened. I will admit my flight was cocky, and it bit us in the butt so many times. Some of us broke down, I am man enough to admit I broke down at least twice. We got frustrated with each other, we made friends, and we learned to work like a well-oiled machine with even those we hated.

No joke on that last bit, there were several of us that did not like each other for one reason or another. But we figured out how to deal with each other and when it came time to actually work we worked well. If you had looked at us a few times when we were working you would have assumed we were friends with how well it went. But no, it was a simple understanding of the sooner we get this done the sooner we can catch a break. The Sooner we get this done, the closer we are to moving on. The better we did, the less we got yelled at, and the sooner we got to see our families. The better and sooner we did everything, that was what dove us. Knowing with each day was a closer step to leaving.

We were told the fastest way out of basic is to graduate, and we all agreed. So if you ever go, go with your all and remember what you are doing. For those that lose it…you are stuck so much longer. Head the words of your Big Brothers and Sister for they have learned tricks and passed them on, and you shall do the same. That is the way of basic, and the rewards…well I have yet to complain too much.

And then once done with basic it was time for Tech school. Each one varies in length depending on what needs done. I got a tad unlucky and got hit with one of the longest ones. But hey, I get closer to the end with every day. And there are benefits to being here.

And it is here that I express to you these words. I’ve been here since the end of April, still in Texas much like basic was. My only complaints…the heat and the weather. I can stand the heat for a bit as long as I am not in uniform, those things seem to increase it way to much….must be the cargo pants. But the Weather…Lighting within five miles of base locks us in. And then when we had tornado warnings…good god the stupidity and “WTF is going one” are enough to make me aggravated. Thankfully it was not too bad or too much, though at the time it seemed bad.

That is something that one must do to survive life it seems, look at things with a certain perspective. Take a step back and look back, at the time something may seem bad but then as you look at it later it does not. I guess that is part of life, and something needs to be worked on for many of us. Either that or I’m getting philosophical.

But right now, as I learn what it takes to do my job. What it takes to put it to us and protect those that protect us. To let my brothers and sisters in arms know what is going on in the world from a view up high. That is and will be a feeling I will adore and be a part of as I move on from in here in one more month.

Though…I really am ready to be out of TEXAS!! I’ve had enough of this state! That is probably the only thing that has really shined a downer on my life here…but to put in perspective I can life a happy life if you simply put a computer in front of my face, with games and internet access. But hey it is who I am, and while there are things I would want to change, I am who I am.

Well, I think I’m coming to a close for today, I’m feeling content with what I got. Maybe I’ll post more later, maybe it’ll be about a topic someone wants me to talk about. It all depends, have something you wish for me to think about the let me know, my brain is always running.

But right now…If I was to summarize what I feel like right now…Over a year since I last posted on this blog, and so much as changed.

Thank you for reading, and I wish you a good life…until I post again, good bye.

Day 24 Sunday 7/14 Final day

Last day…amazingly I am amazed it is last day. Twenty four days…that is how long we have been away from home and driving around this country. It has been…an interesting Vacation like it always is. And my first completed try to do a blog all the way through it. I’ve screwed up in my typings from place to place, but I’ve tried my best. I admit I missed a lot of spelling and grammar errors as we went, but I truly tried my best to do it right first time, but I am human like the rest of you, I make mistakes. But now, without further ado, the last day of vacation

Waking up for the last time, normal all around. We were able to get on the road very close to nine, allowing us to get on the road before it go TOO insanely hot for the old RV. I sort of feel nostalgic as we cross this final stretch. We’ve gone down this road many times back and forth to Las Vegas. But fright now I know…I will not be doing this again for a long time. And yet we have done it so many times that I have grown used to it. Funny how that works.

A good bit before noon we arrived at the California border, and once over it meant we were finally in our home state. And even closer to our actual home.

Just a few minutes before Noon we had to pull off the freeway for some gas, and afterwards it was time for lunch. Me, mom and sister went to a nearby fast food place and got something. And then we were off again.

It was quickly we seemed to get back into the city. It felt nice to see similar freeways. Even if it is LA, it’s still nice to see it.

We were off the Freeway around 2:30, which meant we were even closer to getting home. It really is an interesting feeling; sometimes I can’t decide if I like to be home or if I don’t. But before we were able to get home we stopped at the nearby Costco for a refill in gas. And once through that line we were off on the last leg of our trip. And in a few minutes, we were back home! But that doesn’t mean we are done.

We got a lot of things to do around here, manly in the fact that we have to get the RV into the area as well as get things situated in several places. I know so much fun, but on a different note, the trip went good, which means we are good in that area.

It took a long time to finish up the RV, but eventually we got it done. It was nice to finally finish, but it was a pain in the rear to work as it was. The heat was a giant pain, but hey we eventually we got it done. And spent the rest of our evening relaxing and settling other things. And thus we finished our 2013 Vacation.

It has been a fun time, of sorts. But I have liked the fact that I was able to do this whole thing. I hope those that read like it as well. It has been a blast and I hope I can do this again, but hey time will tell on that.

Typed July 14, 2013

Day 23 Saturday 7/13

Well we are nearing the end, only a few more days…where did the time go? And speaking of time, wake up was normal and all that stuff, but sadly we left late, by an hour. I know not normal for us but we all started moving a tad late and we had a large amount of things to do for some reason. But hey, It doesn’t matter there isn’t really much planned for today, we just want to take it easy as we head off to our next spot.

Eventually we reached the state border, I don’t rightfully remember which one we went into but I am will to say it was Nevada. Which meant we also crossed a time zone and thus gained another hour. A little thing about time changes, you mind understands them, but your body doesn’t…and thus causes a good amount of trouble when you are traveling. And on that note of traveling…the Nevada desert gets old after a while, sure there are a good amount of hills and the small mountains, but come on it’s all dirt and the small bush. So as you can tell…I was getting fed up with just looking at the same old same old after a while.

And around lunch, local time, the course of our vacation hits. We have a tire problem on the RV. One of the rear passenger tires decided it was to be a pain. So we had to pull out at the next exit and replace the thing. And as luck is luck, Nevada heat is at our backs….and extremely hot tires at our fingertips. It was so not a fun experience, but then again it never is. But it was nice to be done with it and for us to continue on with our trip.

But as our luck had it, we didn’t have to go that far before we got off the freeway anyways, this time for a gas stop. It really was sad that we couldn’t haven at least gotten to the gas station, but apparently our luck had decided to flee us.

Well I should say our plan was to fill up, but apparently we dad decided against it given it would have been too difficult to get into it, so instead we went to a different gas station, a “nearby” Costco. And like always, once filled up we were off.

Around 1:30 we got to our stop for the day, and no I did not miss putting in Lunch because we hadn’t had it at this point yet….which meant I was HUNGRY! Well that was eventually settled, and then mom and dad went off to fix a tire while me, sister and nana stayed back and settled into our slowly cooling RV while it was boiling hot outside….why is Las Vegas always hot? Like over a hundred whenever we come here?

Well anyways it was decided we would brave the heat so we could go get dinner, thankfully we just had to walk to the nearby casino and walk through it to get to where we wanted to eat. And then when done with that…I had to move quickly back to the RV to drop some leftovers off then haul my butt back into the building, for we had decided to watch a movie.

The movie being the newest Star Trek, was I really quiet liked. And because of it, I am sitting here thinking about everything I write and how it would sound with Scotty’s accent. Damn that movie, even it was good.

Tomorrow….oh tomorrow…that is when we should begin our final trek home. The last several hours until we are back in California, the mountains, real mountains, and the grand city I have grown up in and still don’t know what is where. But hey, it’s LA as long as you know what the building looks like and the general direction, you’re normally good…normally.

Keep your fingers crossed and knocking on that wood, we may be near the end, but this is when it all comes together. We don’t need another tire going! And if it does…please make it in cooler weather, I hate the heat out here…Next post, Home…

Typed July 13, 2013

Day 22 Friday 7/12

The plan was to take up early today…that plan failed. Only me and sister woke up earlier, her before me. But then she went back to sleep after failing to try and wake everyone else up. I woke up not long after she was out again. But once I was up I…was up. Spent my morning relaxing while waiting for the family to wake up.

And I have to say…it took them a good long while. Yet when we they did they were hoping to it and getting ready for the day. By that I mean back water into the Van and anything else we normally did in the morning.

Once in the Van it was into the nearby National Park again, Zion. Once at the visitor center we hoped out of the Van and into the shuttle they had and got a ride all the way to the top of the canyon here. Where we went on a walk. I refuse to say Hike because it wasn’t even a quarter of a mile, we went a bit in to a spot where we could interact with a river, stayed there for half an hour then came back to the shuttles.

We hitched another ride on a different shuttle to another spot where we went on something that can be considered a hike…a very small hike, not even half a mile round trip, but it was a heck of incline. Then it was again at the shuttle, and got off again at another stop that was at a lodge and where we got our dinner. And then when dinner was done, yet another shuttle ride to a museum did things then yet ANOTHER shuttle ride back to the visitor center where it was back to the Van.

And then when at the Van we drove back to the RV, picked up the dogs then went for a nice long drive. And during this drive we eventually got rained on, and I took a small nap.

I hate to say this, but that nap was the only think I really liked about that whole thing. I mean we brought a good amount of water with us, I was ready to go on a nice long hike, or several hikes for that matter. I’m not talking half mile round trip, I’m talking mile maybe two round trip, oh sure I would have complained about that too. But Come on! I was expecting that, not these insanely long and uncomfortable shuttle rides. After a bit I was actually WANTING a long hike, And instead I got a long drive ride where I got cramp in the back seat because of the mutts….oh what a fun day….now if only I can find a way to do sarcasm right…

Well now that my rant for this post is done, hopefully, I can go on. Eventually our drive was finished because dad didn’t want to deal with the after effects of the rain, so we went back to the RV. And when there we dealt with a few thinks, figured on where to go for dinner and then it was off to dinner. It as a good dinner I have to admit, but that’s a different matter.

Anyways we eventually finished and then back at the RV we again got ourselves a nice relaxing evening…oh who am I kidding? This is the may family there is no such thing as Nice and relaxing, maybe one but usually not the other. So fine, we “chilled out” as one can say and spent what is our normal evening.

Tomorrow is a travel day, a short one is the plan. We should get to Las Vegas and then find a park for the rest of day. We don’t want to travel all the way home thanks to how long that would be, but Las Vegas is a good point to stop for it is closer to home and a much more manageable time. And personally I think it would at least a tad easier to travel during the Nevada desert during that time too. But we will find out. And We really need the knocking on wood, for we are almost home!

Typed July 12, 2013