I remember my last month in the Army. I was just about done with my tour of duty, had been in Germany for nearly three years. My first son had been born there and my family had only seen him during a brief couple weeks of leave about half way through my time there.
I was already accepted to Purdue University to begin course work for a degree in Computer engineering. I was very excited about that. As a family we would finally be back in the States and be able to see loved ones on a regular basis again.
I did NOT want to be in my unit anymore. I was ready to go. We used to call it "short-timers" disease. You lose your motivation, it's hard to get up and get going in the morning, and it's difficult to feel particularly motivated about doing a stellar job in what you do wind up doing.
But you know what? You press on. You get up each day and you continue to do the best job you can at what you are asked to do. You begin to stay away from conversations regarding long range plans, because you know you won't be part of them. And the people in your unit who irritate you for whatever reason, well, you just find a way to avoid them, knowing they won't be a problem for you for long.
I think about that time, and I think about your situation, and I see alot of similarities. I couldn't make that last month go by any faster, and neither can you. But I also couldn't stop being Bill and all that entails, and neither can you stop being FIB and all that entails.
We make the best of it my friend.
We think about the positives that the future holds for us. We dream about the new, exciting things that are to come. And we avoid situations that remind us of the drudgery that we are soon to be leaving.
Stay strong. Stay true to who you are. This is but a season, though I know like it feels endless.
Do you not see your "invincible summer" just up ahead?
Blessings,
Bill
"Don't tell me the sky is the limit when there are footprints on the moon."
