A little over two years ago, while I was deployed to SW Asia, I was selected to be the Wing Chaplain at an Airlift Wing in Ft Worth, Texas. Upon my return from my deployment to SW Asia, I began serving at this unit. (Photo to the right is my chaplain team.)
And thus I began my journey into the world of commuting every month. And, I mean really commuting...from two states away!
Yes, every month I would fly to Texas from my home, two states to the west for my military duty.
Previously, the many years I served at an air force base that was local to my home and only a 30 minute drive away. I met people who flew to attend duty from across the country and or a state or two away. I just really never thought about it.... until I had to travel regularly. I guess we never really know something, until we experience it for ourselves.
Traveling and commuting is quite different when you take a trip that you WANT to go on, like a weekend getaway or a vacation. It is different than the occasional business trip or "TDY" (temporary duty) as it is know in the military.
Commute travel is exhausting, as well as very time consuming and expensive. There is no thrill or excitement to it, as you repeat this trip over and over every few weeks. The sou-less airports, the waiting for buses, vans, trains, planes, the lines at the airports, the security humiliations, the emptiness and loneliness of travel, the delays, the lost luggage, seeing the many people who are stuck commuting and traveling just like you, waiting in the airport, all playing on the smart phones, the stale, expensive and bland food in the airports.... And need I mention the change of time zones heading east is a killer, you lose two hours...getting up at "my time" 3 am to be at work on time in "their" time zone, and so on.
It is very different than deploying and flying to the other side of the globe...grueling in a different sort of way but when deploying and coming home, their is adrenaline and excitement.
Yep, commute travel is a bit de-souling, but it's a real opportunity to practice one's spirituality! Breathe...meditate, in those frustratingly long and slow moving lines! ...Keep a sense of humor...Pray for peace! Inner peace! You will need it!
Why did I do it? I had a great chaplain team, (pictured above) and I really enjoyed my work there. I worked very hard and it was rewarding to see our labors begin to flower this past year.
One thing it taught me... the essence of serving.
But now, I leave this grueling interstate commute...and on to my next assignment...
Bye bye Texas...
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