Random thoughts in Iraq

Army life. . .well it's definitely not for everyone. Being a medic has its ups and downs. Like today for instance. I had to work on an Iraqi that ran his car into a jersey barrier and cracked his head open on his windshield. I patched him up and sent him off in the ambulance in hopes, that even though he made a stupid judgement in his choice of actions, that his family will get to continue to have a dad around. This event really got me thinking about back when I was in the states. I was always racing around in a hurry. For what though? Was getting there that few extra minutes really gonna make that big of a difference? If I got into a wreck and died or something, I would have left my wife and son to fend for themselves. Instead of me being there providing for them like I should be.

I realized how much I take the little things for granted. My son is growing up so fast, and I've hardly been there for any of it because of my work. I'm blessed that I have a loving wife that is willing to put forth the effort to never let our son forget who I am. Just yesterday my wife told me a story about my son that just broke my heart. She has been staying with her parents in Alabama for a few months now while I'm deployed to Iraq to help take care of her mom that recently had knee replacement surgery. So they took a trip back to our house in Georgia, and my son goes running up the stairs yelling, "[w]e're going to go see daddy! Daddy is up there! Come on mommy!" She had to explain to him that daddy was at "work."

I just can't wait for the day that I get to go home and hold them both in my arms and not have to let them go. My son is 4 now and I have been gone for 3 out of the 4 years he has been alive. I've been trying to finish up my school while I'm in the Army, so that I can actually get a decent paying job when I finally get out. Current plans right now though is to get accepted into the DPT (Doctor of Physical Therapy) program. My PA (Physicians Assistant) has been very helpful in teaching me different sports injuries as well as the human anatomy which I will need to study and remember while going through schooling. So much stuff to keep up with, just gotta keep my eyes on the prize and never give up.