Monday, September 11, 2006

Mea Culpa!

Forgive me friends, it's been too long since I've written. Frankly, after my time spent in Iraq, it's difficult to get enthusiastic about writing about life here...stateside. When friends ask, how I'm doing, I'm apt to reply, "OK," or "I'm coasting," or even "It's been boring." But I recognize that's an issue that many war corrospondents have, becoming disenchanted with daily life after the high drama of frolicking in the midst of danger and catastrophe. What's ironic about that is that is the reason most of us got into this field is precisely because we are fascinated with life in ALL it's complexity. If I loose that, I loose too much of myself and I relinquish the gifts' God's given me. With that said, I'm reflecting, for your benefit, my friends, and for my own, at what I've experienced in the few months since my return. On a professional level, I've been struggling to learn how to add some tools to my arsenal, telling stories with multi-media- using writing, sound and still images. I had the opportunity to watch the last F-14 Tomcats catapult off the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt and futhermore, I got a landing and catapult shot out of the deal myself!
I've spent time with wounded soldiers and lab technicians at Walter Reed Medical Hospital as they were fitted with new prosthetic legs, and arms. I followed along on part of the trip as some of those soldiers rode their bicycles across the country.Most recently, I went down to the U.S. / Mexico border to see how the National Guard and the Border Patrol attempt to stop illegals from crossing. And get this, for all of this, I’ve gotten paid! Paid to take pictures and tell stories…I’m already forgetting what I’ve complaining about!
On a personal level, the smartest and most beautiful little spitfire of a woman recently moved up here to Northern Territory to be with ME (hard to believe I know) and we’re planning our wedding next month! (Tami is now the Assistant Manager of JC Penneys at Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax, VA).
My parents and sisters just finished building a great new beach house on the creek in Garden City, SC. They’ve been worrying about the details for months so that last weekend, when I visited for Labor Day, I didn’t have to worry about anything except getting to the fishing hole while the tide was right, and getting back in time to watch the sun set over the marsh. I got a chance to visit with my always happy nephew, Jackson, and the rambuctious triplets, Mac, Eliza and Emma, who are now communicating in complete sentences and managed to keep me in stitches at their antics all weekend. So, friends, ask me again and I’ll tell you "life is good." Very good. Mea Culpa for taking it for granted.

P.S: Highlighted words should route you to this new-fangled multi-media storytelling stuff I've been struggling with.