Midnight Musings
Friday evening...or is it Saturday morning by now? The beads of water on my car's windshield that never seem to evaporate refract the single street light that casts its luminescent glow on my little corner of the earth in a land so far away from what used to be considered "normal"... "usual" ...perhaps banal, that even watching college football, reminiscing with my new friends about times long ago in southern college towns, seems like talking about a vivid dream we had in some parallel life.
The last several nights, I've lied awake in bed with countless thoughts about the now, about the future, flooding my brain. Work has been weird. One day I'm staring at an inbox with so many people demanding so many things of me, tasks I really must defer to my NCO's; the next day, once my senior officer finally got back from emergency leave, I'm kicking my feet back and loosing myself in a book in an office with no computer or anything else exciting to speak of. Today, though, I got to sail in the Alaskan winds above the Ft Richardson Drop Zone in my sixth jump out of a high performance aircraft (seven if you count my adventure in Cedar town).
When I was in North Hollywood visiting my brother and sister in law about a month and a half ago, which now really feels more like the better part of a year, one of the last pieces of advice my brother bestowed was to meet people who really only have a few things in common with me. Meet people who don't ride bikes, who don't consider running part of their identity, and learn. Never stop learning.
Listen to those who's unique experience enhances your own growth...well I'm paraphrasing here but you get the idea. God and His eternal wisdom have allowed me to do just that. His people are indeed everywhere and I know now more than ever that He will never, ever leave my side. How could I possibly deny His presence when I find myself in apologetics and theology classes on weekday afternoons, conversing with fellow believers like we were old friends after cursory introductions...
The forecast calls for more rain. This Alaska rain is most certainly a far cry from the rolling thunder storms I'm so accustomed to. I'm starting to really look forward to the winter. I've been told to enjoy the 50 degree weather while it lasts, but, dang, I really wanna get back on some skies again for the first time in, what, nearly a decade? I'm stoked to get out on my new fat tire bike and tear up some local, snow packed trails.
The last several nights, I've lied awake in bed with countless thoughts about the now, about the future, flooding my brain. Work has been weird. One day I'm staring at an inbox with so many people demanding so many things of me, tasks I really must defer to my NCO's; the next day, once my senior officer finally got back from emergency leave, I'm kicking my feet back and loosing myself in a book in an office with no computer or anything else exciting to speak of. Today, though, I got to sail in the Alaskan winds above the Ft Richardson Drop Zone in my sixth jump out of a high performance aircraft (seven if you count my adventure in Cedar town).
When I was in North Hollywood visiting my brother and sister in law about a month and a half ago, which now really feels more like the better part of a year, one of the last pieces of advice my brother bestowed was to meet people who really only have a few things in common with me. Meet people who don't ride bikes, who don't consider running part of their identity, and learn. Never stop learning.
Listen to those who's unique experience enhances your own growth...well I'm paraphrasing here but you get the idea. God and His eternal wisdom have allowed me to do just that. His people are indeed everywhere and I know now more than ever that He will never, ever leave my side. How could I possibly deny His presence when I find myself in apologetics and theology classes on weekday afternoons, conversing with fellow believers like we were old friends after cursory introductions...
The forecast calls for more rain. This Alaska rain is most certainly a far cry from the rolling thunder storms I'm so accustomed to. I'm starting to really look forward to the winter. I've been told to enjoy the 50 degree weather while it lasts, but, dang, I really wanna get back on some skies again for the first time in, what, nearly a decade? I'm stoked to get out on my new fat tire bike and tear up some local, snow packed trails.
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