Hitting Walls and Magic 8 Balls

Hello All! It’s been a while since I’ve checked in with everyone. My parents came out to visit for a while and we spent time just hangin’ out as a family again. It was cool. Applied some of my own deployment survival advice and signed us up for something new, too. (Gotta get my hit of dopamine, don’tcha know!) We attended a glass –fusing class at an art studio. Super – Fab! Anytime I get to depart the premises with some art supplies and completed jewelry, I’m in heaven. I’m now covered in sparkly, chunky, colorful glass necklaces and rings. Actually, I sort of resemble a feminine version of Mr. T. I’ll write more about that later, and I’ll post pictures of my new stuff, too, in case you’d like to see the Ms. T Starter Kit. But, for now, let’s talk about a dirty little secret: the “deployment wall.”

Apparently, I can deal with about four and a half months of separation with few stress cracks showing in my oh-so-Zen demeanor…however, a day past that, and – WHACK!! - I hit the wall. The deployment wall that most of us have to deal with during a long-term separation. It’s the moment when you decide that you’re done with the deployment, the government, the military, and anything to do with separations…all at the same time, and getting over that wall seems like an impossible task to accomplish during your sprint through this crazy obstacle course of military service. According to the grapevine, both the State-siders and the deployed members end up battling this malaise at some point. The hubby mentioned that his whole office over there has become sluggish right about the same time; they are all trying to figure out how to get up the rope to the top of the wall. The view on the other side is worth the effort, but it can be tricky getting there.

The point of this discussion, guys, is to let you know that most of you will go through this, too – so there is no need to feel alone when you do. If you feel like you’ve gone batshit-nutjob crazy, then you’re probably right on track! Comforting, no? But, hey, nobody is going to judge you for it, even if you show signs of going bonkers, barmy, or round the bend. And, since I’m currently in the business of offering advice to make this separation easier, here goes…

Pick up the phone and call somebody, or grab your art supplies and make something beautiful…or even something really ugly if that helps, or find a wall that no one will miss (preferably not one that belongs to a school, grocery store, your landlord, or a police station) and take a few swings at it with a metaphorical pickax. Work out your aggressions and frustrations on a literal or a figurative wall…it’s up to y’all! But, either way, you’ll feel better. Take up yodeling, take a class; just don’t take something you didn’t pay for at the store…they don’t like that very much. :-> (Groan!!! Yeah, my jokes still suck, people. Now, come on, don’t act like you’re surprised by that!!)

Or, you can do what I’m going to do in order to get over, or maybe just through, the wall. Go with the chaos. Part of the reason we smack our foreheads, and other more tender body parts, on this figurative wall is that we are aggravated by a complete and total lack of control over our lives and relationships right now due to the deployment. My thought is this: why not go with the chaos instead of fighting against it? Embrace the anarchy!



Here’s how - Go buy a Magic Eight Ball. You remember, the little black and white hollow ball that has an icosahedral-shaped die floating inside with twenty answers on it. You ask the universe, or in this case, the Magic Eight Ball, a yes or no question, and then you flip it over to see which of the twenty answers floats to the top. So…chaos captured in a bottle, that you can use to direct your trip down Looney-Tunes Lane. According to Wikipedia, here are the twenty answers most commonly inside the Magic Eight Ball:

● As I see it, yes
● It is certain
● It is decidedly so
● Most likely
● Outlook good
● Signs point to yes
● Without a doubt
● Yes
● Yes - definitely
● You may rely on it
● Reply hazy, try again
● Ask again later
● Better not tell you now
● Cannot predict now
● Concentrate and ask again
● Don't count on it
● My reply is no
● My sources say no
● Outlook not so good
● Very doubtful

So....wait for it...I’m going to take a road trip as directed entirely by the answers contained within the Magic Eight Ball. I first asked it if I should go West (remember, yes or no answers…I couldn’t just ask a “where should I travel” question of it), it responded with a definitive “It is decidedly so.” Cool! So, I’ll be starting for the West Coast in a few days. Besides using it to answer the overarching, macro questions of cardinal driving directions, I’ll also take it with me to ask about restaurants, tourist destinations, and activities. I’ll let you know how my foray down the rabbit hole goes. Who knows? Maybe random answers are better suited to giving a person like me some guidance than my own (kinda, sorta) well-thought-out plan to get over the wall. Umm, my plan involved explosives…thankfully, the Eight Ball and the local fire department overruled me. Okay, so they made the wise choice. Sigh... So, now, I guess I should let the Eight Ball make some more decisions for me. :->

Cross your fingers, here we go!