Glass is Half Full …………….

I’ve been blessed with living in some awesome places in my lifetime, as well as visiting many.  But, for every place one person loves, another seems to hate?

When I was stationed in Panama, as a military member we were sometimes called upon to be a ‘sponsor’ for new arrivals.  I learned something quickly.   When someone got off the plane and asked if the country was nice... safe ….  Well... you name it... the first thing I’d ask them was “how was your last duty station?”  If they had a negative response, I gave them a negative response.  I’d learned quickly that for some people … the glass was always half empty.  So, I played along with their shitty attitudes if they had one.  If they liked their last duty station, I told them they’d love Panama and gave them more reasons than they could have imagined.  Your glass is either half empty or half full?

Folks sometimes ask me where I was born.  I tell them the state (California) and the city which gets either a “Huh?  Where’s that?”... Or a “WTF?   You’re kidding... right?”  Point being, that small town/city is known as a shithole now…   Hell, much of where I lived in California back in the day... is a shithole to most now.  Hell, I agree!   But it wasn’t to me then, and... If I lived there today, I can pretty much guarantee you... it wouldn’t be to me today.  Why?  I like where I’m at.  Hell, historically, I’ve loved where I’m at.  Period.  It’s all about having the right mental attitude.  When we get out of bed every day, we have two choices to make. It’s going to be a great day, or, it’s going to be a shitty day.  I choose the great, every time.   I’ve applied this thought process to my days.  To my job.  To my Life.  It’s Cliché but... My Glass is Half Full.  

As a kid, I lived in the Southern California (the good old days) and in the Mojave Desert.  To be more specific, Barstow California.   I’ve heard it called the “Armpit.”   Hell, I get it. After I moved, I’ve drove through it many a time between LA and Vegas. As you pass through , easy to think "what an armpit' .. lol.   But, when I lived there, I enjoyed the wide open spaces.  The low humidity   The Desert Aura.  Yep, I was just a kid, but since then, I’ve been to Edwards AFB, and other wide open spaces.  Put me there, and... I like it.  If I had to move there tomorrow, I’d get a dirt bike and a Dual Purpose bike and explore the entire area.  It’s wide open.  I’d … love it

I lived in the tropics as a kid as well; Guam and Hawaii. Though I found myself in scuffles over those 8 years due to being white (yep, I was a ‘minority’), I’ve got nothing but fond memories.  Great memories, of growing up there.  If fact it’s somewhat surreal, because... it was awesome.  I loved it.

My junior year, my family moved to Minnesota, directly from Hawaii.  You want to talk about SHOCK.  Short summers and frigid winters.  I loved it.  The state is downright beautiful.  A third of the year it’s as Green as one can imagine.  Lakes everywhere.   Folks love to have a good time in the evenings, especially during the winter.  Driving a car in 5, 6, 8... Or more inches of snow not only requires expertise, but... is a downright blast!  And we were doing it in rear wheel drive cars, usually rusted out and with crappy heating systems.  Did I mention, I loved it?

When I went into the Military, I found myself in the Great State of Texas for my Basic Training.  Then, for my Security Police technical training (well, it wasn’t all that technical!).  After that, I had five weeks of Air Base Ground Defense training at Camp Bullis (North of San Antonio).  And, I enjoyed Texas.  It was in my blood.  I’d find myself back for another year of training in San Angelo just five years later.  That, would seal the deal for me mentally.

After Texas, I transferred to Rapid City SD.  I’d thought Minnesota was cold; SD was frigid as hell because we were out at the missile sites with nothing to block the cold winds when we were out on the sites during the winter.  Sadly, I didn’t truly take in the Black Hills around Sturgis as much as I should have, though we did do some time on the lakes, and some skiing in the winter.  And I did a LOT of camper duty and Military Convoy duty in the area over several years.  But here was the Black Hills at my beck and call, but I didn’t enjoy them as much as I could have.  However, I have nothing but good memories of the area.  At the time… I loved it.

I then found myself in Biloxi MS for another year of training.   Maybe it was the schedule.  Maybe the base housing.  Or the nearby beach.  Or my older sis living in Grenada MS. But even though I was broke as hell, living paycheck to paycheck, I loved that assignment.  To this day, I love Mississippi.  

Then, eventually off to Omaha Nebraska.  I’d do two tours for a total of seven years.   Not only did I enjoy the assignment, but I found my wife of 30 years here; yep you guessed it. I loved the place!

Twenty two years ago, I asked for an assignment to Greenville Texas.  This was a tough one since I’d been here before, and I well... wasn’t impressed to say the least.  But, it’ was a primo assignment and I was able to find a small house on several acres that met our minimal requirements.  I went through a few years of hell at my USAF job, but overall, I truly enjoyed it.  When I retired from the USAF I chose to stay in my home and do a few improvements on it.  Today, we have a version of our personal Oasis, and I love the area.   Interestingly, my job would allow me to live anywhere in the US, but I choose here.  It’s not the most scenic, or thriving hub of culture, but it’s my home and I love it.   I love the sounds of the woods alive every morning.  The sounds of the woods in the evening (as I listen to the crickets outside my window as I type this).  I can’t help myself.  What many don’t realize is, I’m cognizant there are more beautiful places to live.  Areas with lakes.  Areas with deep blue oceans.  White sand beaches.  Mountain ranges.  Tropical Jungles.   But, I love this place.  It’s my home.  Life isn’t perfect.  We get hail storms.  Tornadoes.  A lil’ snow and sleet (but not much!) during the winters.  Summers get hot and humid!  Things need fixing and painting.  Things break down (its hot here…. A/Cs work hard!).    But, every day one can find the good in where they are at, what they are doing, whom they are with.  Optimism is a beautiful thing.  A Glass Half full keeps one smiling.  And sometimes, one needs to work a lil extra hard to ensure that glass stays half full.  But, it’s worth it.  At least I believe it is.

I just remembered an incident that happened back around 1994 or so. I’d just returned from a Desert Calm deployment (post Desert Storm) and my boss called me into his office.  I was a TSgt, and he an MSgt.  He wanted to know why I was smiling.  I mean, I’d just returned from a multi month deployment, back to Offutt AFB ( where apparently he was miserable ) and … he wanted to know what was ‘so great.’ I thought he was kidding.  He wasn’t.  He had no grasp of understanding, how someone could be happy every day, all week, walking around with a smile with a great attitude.  To this day, this meeting seems surreal to me, but it happened.  Actually messed with my head for a period of time and had me looking inward wondering what was wrong with me.  What was wrong with me?  Nothing.  My Glass is supposed to be half full!  So, I refilled it and pressed on. 

About a year ago I met someone whom I gained a lot of respect for, and we had a conversation one evening over drinks.  The subject of a certain person we both knew came up and the person said to me that they got tired of seeing this other person (the one we both knew) portraying a phony life on FB.  You know, only the good, life is perfect, vacation pics, etc., etc.   I knew where they were going with it because I’d noticed the same thing, but at the same time thought to myself “well F***, wait until they see my page?? “Since they’d just friended me that day on FB.   Found myself snickering because I tend to post often and love to post things I’m happy about, places I’ve been and places I’m at.  I’m normally ‘happy’ so I’m guessing I’ve got one of those ‘phony pages?”   Hey, I thought it was funny.  But, I don’t post just the ‘life is great’ BS.  Some days, life sucks.  Some days, you have to suck it up and move on.  I’ll talk about it, share it with my friends, and hell, post it on FB.  But the good news is, there’s usually a positive that can be found in most any situation and I look for it.   Pursue it. Because, there’s no reason our Glasses shouldn’t be Half Full?

Life is short.  Find the Good.  It’s out there all around us.  No matter where we live.  I do, no matter where I wake up in the beautiful country of ours.  Look closely, because it’s there……