Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Big adventure
Thirteen days after suffering a nondisplaced pelvic fracture.
Scale, context, perspective.
##########
There's an old saying in Naval Aviation.
"When life gives you lemons..."
No, that ain't it.
"When life gives you navy nurses..."
Closer, but that ain't it either.
"Look, I understand, but we got a mission here, so suck it up and drive on."
That's the one!
##########
There are days when my cup runneth over with good shit, days when my cup runneth over with bad shit, and days (most of them) when it runneth over with a pretty even mix. Regardless of the mix, there's always the mission.
##########
It's been a tough 10 days or so. I've had a bit of a winter bug, not enough to make me sick, but enough to make me feel blah-shitty most of the time. Every day I've got out of bed and married my flight sked with the air plan. And every single day, while I'm idling in the chocks and ready to go do good work, tasking changes and both the flight sked and air plan need to be reworked right now. By the end of the day those documents bear little resemblance to the clean copy of the morning. They're smudged and crumpled and torn and covered with colorful crayon scrawls.
And always there's the mission. So suck it up and drive on.
##########
Suck it up and drive on takes work and effort and involves no little pain. Those things happen in the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual realms. It's hard and exhausting and draining and painful.
Always, there's the mission.
##########
Working through the hard stuff -- sucking it up and driving on -- with an overarching goal of executing the mission.
That right there is life.
##########
I am immeasurably blessed.
##########
Good thing I know how to fall.
##########
I've been struggling with writing a Corpsman Chronicle. The who-what-when-where-why-how of the thing is easy. It's just information. I can write it all down just fine. What I'm struggling with is the flavor and the feel of the thing. For some reason it's been hard to, I don't know, slip back into the heart and soul of the guy who was there. That's where the tale has to come from. Without that, the story is just words. Might as well be a page out of a dictionary.
But it's coming back. Today was a good day.
Be well and embrace the blessings of liberty.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Man, that windshield!
ReplyDeleteu2b isn't doing what I expect it to on edits. Guess I need to do it right.
DeleteThanks for stopping by and commenting!
"...and covered with colorful crayon scrawls." I didn't know you associated with any Marines in Kimball! And before anyone get in a twist, I am a Marine vet, chill.
ReplyDeleteMarines -- keeping it real since 1775! I got learned how to do a nine line by Marines. Big Chief tablet and a box of crayons. If it was good enough for Chesty it's good enough for me. :-)
DeleteThanks for stopping by and commenting Marc!
13 days? That's the definition of tough! And re the airplan/flt sked, they never survive first contact... LOL
ReplyDeleteTough and stubborn, which comes in handy in the whole life thing.
DeleteThanks for stopping by and commenting!
Happy to read that you are feeling better. I'll watch the videos later, I need to get dinner ready now.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post.
Paul L. Quandt
Thanks Paul. Getting dinner is important!
DeleteThanks for stopping by and commenting!
You sound much more upbeat.
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't envy you your mission. I couldn't do that stuff, and you go out and just tend to business.
BZ, Sailor!
Thanks very much drjim.
DeleteAs a Chief who had just dropped a huge "opportunity to excel" on me said -- with an evil grin on his face -- "Stuff don't get done until you do it!"
Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
I watched the videos; we just think it's cold here, where you are it's COLD!
ReplyDeleteYou take care of yourself and stay warm.
Paul
Canadian reader: "Cold? Hold my Molson!"
DeleteIt's getting on toward spring, 29 days until the sun rises following the 9 p.m. Vernal Equinox. That said, it got down to -1 last night. I have a great deal of respect and appreciation for changing seasons and variable weather/climate.
Glad y'all are back in action. Well, except that "know how to fall" stuff. Looks like Red was peeved you were slowing down the column.
ReplyDeleteWhen Corpsman Chronicles is ready, I am sure we will be delighted, but it's your story, so you tell it your way, when you are ready. Sometimes that muse just goes AWOL for a while.
JB
Red was having a blast flushing grouse. She was also embarrassed when she slipped and fell on the same patch of ice despite having four leg drive.
DeleteIt's a very odd thing, sometimes I slip seamlessly right back into that guy's head, other times access is completely blocked.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting John!
Good to see you back on deck. I'll watch the videos when I get home but I can see that you've had a bit o' the white stuff lately.
ReplyDeleteGlad that your Mom is up and about, now that lady is a real trooper!
We can wait on the Corpsman Chronicle, knowing that it will be good, and worth the wait.
Very nice white stuff production yesterday, a real winter wonderland!
DeleteMom is very tough and she's willing to take only so much back-talk from her pelvis. ;-)
It's coming along. Just hard to get back into that dumb shit's head.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting Sarge!
I hope you and all at the Ranch are OK. I have been one sick Badger, myself. I picked up a very impressive case of the flu, but am slowly getting better. Positive Badger Waves headed in your direction!
ReplyDeleteThanks Scott. We're all fine, and maybe I'm back on the posting path.
DeleteThanks for stopping by and commenting!