A Student of Modern Warfare

A few weeks ago I had the distinct pleasure to volunteer for The Gary Sinise Foundation's Snowball Express. Gary Sinise of Forrest Gump and CSI: NY fame heads up an organization that supports active duty Soldiers, veterans and their families. His foundation sponsors a special event: The Snowball Express. Each December the foundation hosts 1,750+ children of the fallen and their surviving parent or guardian at a five-day retreat. Last year they went to Disney World. One of my friends, female combat veteran, planned a trip to an Army base in North Carolina where the families would assemble before heading to Orlando.

Gold Star families hold a special place in my heart. They have made the ultimate sacrifice. I met of few of these families while we were stationed in Vicenza and the surviving spouses and children are so brave. At times I miss the close connection to the military and so welcomed the opportunity to drive the four hours to cheer the kids and parents as they boarded their flight to Disney. What I did not immediately understand was I needed to wake up at midnight to be there at 5AM when the families arrived at the airport in North Carolina. It took me  few days to wrap my head around the idea, but then I recognized what an extraordinary opportunity it was. I went to bed super early that Friday evening and woke up at midnight to get ready for an adventure. I was not disappointed.

The kids ranged from seven to 12 or 13 years old. They were ordinary looking kids. Nothing about them let on that they had lived through the nightmare of having a parent killed in combat. It was early and our exuberant holiday cheering may have slightly unnerved them. It was early for them, but we had been awake for hours. Once they were all assembled we waited on the tarmac for them to board the American Airline aircraft, and this is where it happened.

I saw a savage looking helicopter in the distance. It reminded me of a dinosaur. It was large, hulking and powerful looking. (It also matched my jacket, which was definitely a sign!) I heard some chatter around me about other helicopters, the Blackhawk and the Chinook, but the look of the Apache held my attention fiercely. I had never seen anything like it. I later learned it is a lot like a flying tank. It has a Rolls Royce engine, is mostly bulletproof and can climb to over 5,000 ft. per minute. These are the guys you call when something has gone wrong in the fight, and you need it fixed fast. After I stopped staring at the incredible machine I wondered why they were there, and the answer made me want to cry in earnest. Two Apaches escort the American Airlines plane with the children down the runway until the plane is airborne as a sign of respect, and just that small extra touch to remind the families of how special they are.

During the drive back the Apache became my newest obsession. I texted Hunter's Godmother when I got back to Savannah. Her husband flew Apache's in the Army and survived a harrowing firefight. She shared stories with me over the years, but back then I didn't know what an Apache looked like. My next stop was to find a book that could tell me more about the Apache. By all accounts Ed Macy's Apache is the best out there. The cover has these quotes: "Puts you right in the cockpit with your finger on the trigger. A truly awesome read." and "Thoroughly absorbing...A real find for students of modern warfare." I am not student of modern warfare, at least not yet anyway. In the meantime, this book and the trip to North Carolina have expanded my world view and for that I am grateful.

Until next time on The Cat Who Swallowed the Canary. 

Magical Manifesting

Yes I wore gold lame to axe throwing

Happy New Year! Eight is my lucky number. It is also my favorite number. Big things always happen for me around the number eight. I knew 2018 was going to be smashing but, it far exceeded my expectations. I started off with wild experiments, hopes and dreams. I made the scary calls, sent the bold emails and trusted my instincts. The best part is the work paid off. I had an incredible year filled with joy and deep satisfaction. Yes there were a few unfortunate surprises to be sure. Turns out my cholesterol is on the uptick! And lots of false starts in the career sector, but I finally landed a job that is flexible and interesting. I planned a major power move with the negotiations, but that all changed at O'Hare airport last month.  That story will have to be told in another post.

Today's post is about two key events: (1) My Life Coach (2) My birthday celebration. My now coach began as friend when I first arrived in Savannah almost two years ago. (Yes, I am coming up on two years here!) We saw each at events around town. I even participated in some of her career coaching sessions, but there was some part of her practice and self expression that was just north of my boundary of esoteric. I am learning that some people lean into that. What I mean is they embrace or confront that which feels uncomfortable. I typically run turn away from circumstances that make me uncomfortable.

As 2018 began to wind down I determined I wanted to accelerate the positive vibrations in my life. Yes the esoteric vibe is rubbing off on me. Since my arrival in Savannah my life has picked up momentum. I love it and began to feel there is more out there me now that I am back in America. Italy was a great experience, but there were certain limitations that are no longer factors in my life. I made a conscious decision to level up.

And so it happened that when I was in NY I heard knife throwing and axe throwing were a thing. I love all sorts of weapons, but especially knives. This immediately caught my interest. When I returned to Savannah I made a list of activities I wanted to try. Axe throwing was in the top five. The nearest axe throwing classes are in Atlanta, which is an almost four-hour drive. I did not fuss about it. I wrote it in my book, set the intention to go axe throwing and closed the book on it for the time being. I did not fuss or worry about it. I let it be.

Within a few months a friend came to me with the idea of driving to Atlanta to GO AXE THROWING for my birthday. I was floored, ecstatic really is the word to best describe it. And that my friends is how manifesting works. Within a few weeks we were on our way to Atlanta for a day of axe throwing. I could try to explain the how and why manifesting works in greater detail, but I'm not sure I can. What I do know for sure is I want to elevate my life this year. I want to it fill it with joy, sweetness and success. Some of that could could happen with positive thoughts, but generating high powered positive thoughts takes some work. That is where the Life Coach comes in. We are almost halfway through our journey, and already my life is sweeter. I say a lot more about how I feel. I feel a lot more of what I say. And dear reader it is all about what you feel in your heart.

Until next time on The Cat Who Swallowed the Canary.