Off to Kansas

I called DA (Department of the Army) asking for a stateside assignment ANYWHERE close to Chicago.  As much as I enjoyed the Army and being in Germany, I longed for home.  I was torn between those two lives I had: home and the Army.  I came down on orders for the First Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas -- known as The Big Red One, a highly decorated unit.  I would be assigned to the Headquarters company working at the Division JAG.  I was neither excited nor disappointed.  Kansas certainly was closer to home than Germany and it was within driving distance.  I had a Dodge Colt that I bought brand new prior to going into the Army --my sister had been using it while I was away and I was going to go home and reclaim it, take it to Kansas with me--hit the road, Jack.

Newsome and I devised a plan.  We were both going to fill out our dream sheet --they call it "dream sheet" because it rarely comes to fruition but anyway, we both were going to put in a request for an assignment to Hawaii when we finished the next year --me in Kansas and him in Germany.

Oh, so I guess I forgot to mention Newsome talked me into re-enlisting so after we got married we'd request joint domicile (being stationed at the same place together).  I mean, I had not yet reenlisted but I was going to once I got to my new duty station.  That was our big plan --he'd finish up his year in Germany, I'd do a year in Kansas then we'd both try to get assigned to Hawaii and someplace in between all that, there would be a wedding.  I don't know, being young and in love gives you such a dreamy outlook on life, doesn't it?  As I sit here now and type that up --it all seems so dumb to me --so fairytale like.

I still had not told anyone in my family about Newsome --I was too chicken.  I thought it odd me planning on marrying someone my family didn't even know about and so there was this tiny voice within me that kept thinking it was never actually going to happen.  I felt odds were against us --many odds and in fact, so many things pulling us apart more so than pushing us together.

Newsome had already been married once and had a son.  I decided that I would not blog about any of that because that involves someone else's life that I don't feel I have to the right to broadcast.  But all of that definitely played a significant role in my relationship with Newsome --even at times threatened to break us up.

I wasn't doing much in JAG --Legal Assitance was boring!  I wasn't even going to formations or PT anymore --or I'd make an appearance every now and then.  I had a bad case of short-timers attitude!  I was leaving.  That's all that mattered.  It seemed strange to me that I spent over a year longing to be home and wishing for nothing but home and now that it was time to leave I wasn't sure I wanted to go.

But things were so different.  I hated Legal Assitance.  Connie was gone.  I hated living alone.  I didn't know hardly anyone around the company any more.  I was afraid of going off to Ft. Riley by myself.  I was afraid of leaving Newsome. It was such a confusing time for me.

When I left Germany my plan was to fly into Florida to spend time with my Mom.  Then I'd fly to Chicago to see the rest of the family and pick up my car.  From there I'd drive to Missouri and spend time with my grandparents then off to Kansas.  Of course you know, I'd somehow find a way to work Newsome into the dinner conversations.

Wow!  Dinner looks great!  I'm so happy to be home now.  I loved Germany.  I got to go to London, Paris, Austria, Amsterdam, the Black Forest, Switzerland . . .many other places too.  I got promoted to Sergeant and graduated from PLDC!  I lived in the barracks then got my own apartment, I'm dating a black man that has been married and has a son, I learned some Germany, drove on the autobahn at top speed, met people from all over the world, worked on some big high-profile cases in Crim Law . . .can you pass the potatoes please?"

Maybe I could just say all that really really fast.