The Voyage Home Part 4

Follow these links here to read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

Last time, I left off with the moment when I cross Lake Ponchartrain and get back into the Greater New Orleans area. And now, the conclusion...

Within minutes, I am driving through what looks like the Downtown area of New Orleans. The song on the radio was apparently something that I didn’t like. So, I changed it to that new Rock station I had heard about during my ‘long exile in Yankee land’ via friends on Facebook, 96.3. That station didn’t have any trouble winning me over as a new fan. The first song I hear on this station is the Skillet song ‘Monster’, which reminds me of the person who introduced me to the song years ago. And that just made me even happier that I was getting away from the Army. She was a fellow soldier in my AIT unit and then later the same battalion while we were in Korea. To make a long story short, she was also a fine example of why the Drill Sergeants in Basic Training told us all to stay away from Army females. I’m quite glad that I listened to them, in the case of that particular individual. That poor girl had some serious issues… The song is still quite enjoyable, though.

At about 0330 hours that morning, I am starting to recognize where I’m at without any street signs or the Garmin. The landmarks, buildings and roads themselves told me exactly where I was: back home in the suburb known as Metairie. I’m now only a few minutes away from my final destination. I start ignoring the Garmin, which thus far has taken me every step of the way from Maryland back home to Louisiana. It was no longer needed and hasn’t been used much since.

I use the exit ramp for Causeway Blvd. near the Clearview Mall to get back onto the surface streets. Instead of flying down the road at warp speed, I start to relax and take my time, looking around. It was remarkable just how little had changed. I stopped for gas at a Chevron station on the corner of Veteran’s Boulevard and Transcontinental Drive to fill up one more time. I briefly remember that this is also the same station where my 1982 Buick Riviera, Shiela, started to have the trouble that led to its demise. I tried to drive it to the mechanic’s shop but, She didn’t make it there that day. That was an unpleasant memory...

After that brief trip down memory lane, I stopped by my father’s house. I thought about knocking on the door but, decided not to since it was 4 AM. I found out later that I could have since he was already awake but, how was I supposed to know? So, I drove to my mother’s house because I knew she’d be awake, getting ready to go to work. Why UPS decided to put her on an early AM shift, I don't know.

I pulled into the driveway and called her cell phone. There was no answer. That was a little weird since I knew she was already awake. I could see the lights on and, more importantly, I could see my dog, an American Pitbull Terrier named Dixie, through a window. She was laying on a piece of furniture for Human use (which she knows she’s not supposed to do) and she happened to notice me. She lifted her head and looked at me quizzically, as if wondering if what she saw was real.  I simply smiled and said aloud, knowing she’d hear and recognize my voice, ‘Yes, Dixie, it really is me.’

She jumped off the bed and started moving to the front door, barking loudly enough for me to hear her. I called Mom’s phone one more time. This time, Mom answered and I explained to her that I was standing out front. ‘Well, no wonder Dixie is going nuts…’ she said as she made her way to the door to let me inside. The moment the door was open, the dog comes running, looking to jump all over me. Good thing I was prepared for that event. Otherwise, she may have knocked me down. That was a very happy reunion. :)

I spent a few minutes there and then started driving around town again. I started to notice a few things that had changed but, not many. After tooling around for a while, I went back to my Dad’s house sometime after 6 AM. By this time, I have been awake for at least 25 hours and I still wasn’t feeling fatigued. Those 5-hour energy shots really work! I park in front of his house, get out of the truck and call his cell. This is how the conversation went…

Me: ‘That flag in front of the house is looking a bit worn out. Fortunately, I have a pristine one in my truck with me.’

Dad: ‘What flag? What are you talking about?’

Me: ‘The one in front of your house. I’m standing in the front yard right now.’

Dad: ‘Oh, you’re here. Okay, wait a minute. I’ll come open the door.’

I can be such a Smartass... :P

By this time, it was about 6:30 AM (Notice how I started using civilian time instead of military time?) and yet, I'm still not tired. I must have been awake for a good 26 hours by now and I'm still not feeling the fatigue. I chatted with Dad for a few minutes in his dining room, keeping my voice low since I knew there were still some people in the house who were asleep. Eventually, his new girlfriend that I hadn't met before comes out from the back of the house. I simply said 'Good Morning!' with a smile and some enthusiasm. I guess that I surprised her since no one was expecting me to get home so fast. After talking with her a few minutes, I hopped into the shower and then went to sleep. I didn't wake up again until about 6:30 that night.

Everything else that happened since then isn't really all that important so, I won't bore you with the details. I can tell you that I'm *quite* relaxed nowadays. I'm well on the way to starting my next career once the schooling is finished sometime this summer. I haven't yet been able to spend any time with many of those old friends I missed. That's one of the unfortunate aspects of Army life that no one tells you about when you enlist. While you're away from home, everyone else goes on with their lives. They don't necessarily forget you but, they do act like you've moved away or perhaps even died. There's a lot to be said for proximity in the importance of maintaining interpersonal relationships. I did get to see some of the most important people on that mental list of mine, though.

I don't know what the future holds from this point but, it's gotta be better than the dubious future I unwittingly looked forward to when I enlisted in the Army circa 2009. There will still sadly be some Bravo Sierra from the Federal Government, no thanks to the VA. I sure hope they cause me less headaches than the Army did. Those VA scandals I'm seeing on TV are very troubling since I'm about to go into that Healthcare system. Even if none of that was taking place, I still plan to get some kind of Healthcare from the Private Sector to supplement the VA. If you depend on the Government for anything, you will be disappointed. I hope the voting public remembers that with the upcoming elections in 2014 and 2016. That toilet bowl that is D.C. definitely needs to be flushed.

Something else I noticed since getting back to the real world is that nothing seems like a really big deal or an insurmountable obstacle anymore. Even better, people in the civilian world are nice, polite and actually willing to help when you ask. That sure is a welcome change.

I'll be taking a bit of a hiatus from this blog for about a month. I need to finish this online training for my next career, among other things. The next blog will be in July after the end of my terminal leave, when I am officially a civilian again. That post, simply entitled 'Why I left the Army' will tell you all the reasons why I put an end to that career. It's bound to be a bit of a shock to the general public. Service-members and Veterans however, will understand completely and perhaps empathize with my situation.

- Lord Publius

P.S. If any of the nerds in the audience failed to realize where I got the title for this 4-part series, then you need to turn in your Starfleet uniform right now.