I don't post often. My life is too busy to post daily, weekly, or even monthly. But in light some newly acquired perspective, I felt the need to share.
1. The TSA pat down is not that bad. It was kind of like a weird public massage from a uniformed person you don't know. Yes it's a little invasive, but nothing extreme. I experienced it recently when my glucose sensor/insulin pump set off the metal detector. They had me in the isolation area as they indicated they needed a "female assist". Having read the stories of others about their experiences, I was dreading it. I didn't want to be groped by some authority figure with absolute power over me. The agent gave me the option of a private screening, which I declined. I figured if I was gonna be violated, better have some witnesses. The TSA agent was very professional. She got my bags for me, directed me to a seating area, and explained exactly what would happen. Seriously, it was no big deal. Quick and painless.
2. Even if you are gone for two years, your dog will still love you and lick your face when you come visit. She will snuggle up to you and wag her tail and bark and play. She will lay on you and, when you give her a sweaty dirty shirt that you ran in so she can remember you, she will lay on it and use it as a "blankie" until you return again. Hopefully you will return.
3. Shortness of breath can indicate a drug allergy. Don't dismiss it. I've been walking around for a week not being able to breathe good despite being a runner. People were starting to wonder what the heck was wrong. Panic attack? Anxiety? Ketoacidosis? Nope. Medication allergy. Thanks mom for figuring that one out. Yesterday was the last dose I took....I'm still trying to catch my breath today.
4. Sometimes it's good to just slow down and listen. My recent trip back home put me in touch with some old friends as well as some new faces. The thing that stood out the most was people's need to talk. I visited with an older woman who's husband is sick with COPD and refuses to carry and use his oxygen tank. I've known them both for years. I heard her worries for him, the fear of losing him. I visited with another woman who had recently lost her husband. It was our first meeting. Her words about not being able to say goodbye to him stuck the most and made me want to call my loved ones immediately; to not let a moment pass by because you never know what the future holds. I visited with a young woman and her new baby. Her husband, who already has a dangerous job in a public safety position, is leaving soon for an Afghanistan deployment with his reserve unit. He will miss his baby's first year of life. She worries for him daily when he leaves for work, and now he is leaving for a year; going to a foreign country. She conveyed how she cried for days after she found out. Her voice was shaking as she talked about getting a web cam and moving in with her parents back home while he is away. Her story is not hers alone, but hearing it sheds a personal light on it. Hearing the anxiety and worries of all these other people, their grief, their life story really puts things into perspective. I couldn't do anything to help any of them, but listening to them let them get it all out. You know what transcends all of this? Love.
5. When I'm away from home number one I miss it. I miss red clay, John Deere tractors, country music, boiled peanuts, running into everyone you know out in town, passerby waves, family dinners, and an abundance of churches. My list goes on and on...except the gnats. I don't miss them so much. When I'm away from home number two, I miss it. The most amazing man in the world, great friends who can relate to being away from home number 1, dry heat, productive runs, "my" church...This list also goes on and on. Neither home is perfect, but they are still home. Yes, home is where the heart is and mine is in two places (apparently). It is where I once was and where I am now. It is where family is and where friends are. Home number one will always be the one I go back to; it's where all of my old memories reside. It is where I started life; it is my past. Home number two is that place that moves around and changes; it is the important one because it is where my present and future are. Never mind the house, that is not home. In fact, it's for sale..but that's another post completely.
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