Well December is ticking away. Christmas is fast approaching and today we had a significant amount of down time. I had a chance to go to the base exchange. Not that I really needed anything. It has become a somewhat melancholy affair going there and seeing the same old movies (outdated for the most part), same nick-knacks, doo-dads and other tempting pieces of entertainment and technology that are ultimately useless to me in my given situation. So I settled on “treating myself” with a purchase of a flat of 20oz. waters for my roommates and some body wash. Whoo hoo.
Sgt. Tull was treating himself with a haircut, and given the crowded nature of the establishment, he was in line for a while. I had finished my affairs and was waiting for him outside. I took full advantage of the $1.00 per 3 minute massage chairs that were just calling my name. The day prior we had on all of our body armor for a training class, so I did decide to repay my hindquaters for being so kind to me. I couldn’t stop with 3 minutes, so heck I made it 6. Well worth it I thought.
On the second dollar I started to become aware of the music playing in the background. CHRISTMAS MUSIC! Wow, that’s right. It is just around the corner. Thoughts weighed heavy on my mind considering all that I have to do when I get to go home for holiday leave. Feeling overwhelmed about the cut-throat last minute shopping I will have to endure upon my return to New Hampshire, I decided not to keep feeding the chair money. I moved to a nearby park bench and slowly became more downhearted.
When I arrived at Fort Dix, the first time, it was Oct. 1st, which soon melted into November and now has dissolved into December. Not unlike an episode of the Twilight Zone, something has taken this time and compressed three months into what feels like a span of weeks. I’ve lost track so often. I relied heavily on my cell phone to tell me the date. When I left the charger in Birmingham and my battery bit the dust, I hadn’t a clue what day of the week or month it was. What a shocking realization. Luckily, my beautiful girlfriend back home sent me a charger via post and the world was restored again! Perhaps I shall need a calendar for Christmas, a full sized one and one to keep in my pocket.
It is a funny thing, time; it usually seems to work against you. Sometimes it works for you, but never quite the rigth way. It is a never-ending battle, you vs. time. You can neither beat it nor join it, you just have to roll with it.
We shall see what time has in store for me this next year.
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