Rhythm of Life

Time goes on here in a very Groundhog Day type of way. You wake up, put on the same clothes as yesterday, get on the bus to the other side of the base, brief up a sortie, go fly it for four hours or so, debrief and do the busywork that’s piling up, then ride back to your little room 13 hours later, eat at the same chow hall, workout in the same uniform as everyone else and go to sleep. There aren’t the things that we consider normal which we’re used to breaking up our lives like Friday nights, weekends, church, etc. Days of the week have no real meaning because each is the same as the one before it. Until now I never realized how much we need things like that both to look forward to and to inject a rhythm we can count on into a hectic life. A friend said that it feels like every day is Tuesday because you worked the day before, but you still have a whole week of work in front of you.
I’ve been thinking about this for a bit but I really see it today because I have a day off today, for the first time in a few weeks of long days, which has been incredible. I happened to realize it was Sunday so I went to the church service here and it was great to just be reminded of that part of normalcy in worshipping with others at a set time.
Being here makes me very thankful for those who have sent me a card, package or email. I may not always respond immediately because internet does not always work but they have been much needed reminders of the fact that there is a “normal” world out there and it’s filled with people who care. It makes me think of the little patches of weeds that spring up underneath the A/C units. This is a very dry and desolate land, but all it takes is a tiny bit of water and little splashes of green life are still able to tenuously hold on. Every time I hear from one of you it’s like a drop of water that lets me thrive even in this hard place.
So thank you very much.