I have a Facebook page and had made a comment about Milli Vanilli. Then I ran across my silly picture which is posted above (just in case you didn't notice). I began to think about how fun music was when I was in junior high circa 1990. In that same moment in time I lived in Germany; Rhein Main Airbase to be exact. My dad was in the Army (hoohaa or whatever it is they shout) and he was stationed to a very small little unit in the middle of the forest of Shwanheim. This location was closer to Rhein Main than Abrams Army Post so we got to live it up in Air Force housing for a couple years. I loved living there...when I was not in a hormonally charged preteen state of huff.
I am so grateful for my time from birth to 23 (that is when they took away my ID card and DODD benefits) when I could call myself an Army brat. I cannot imagine having to live in the same town my whole life. I can say I have been to 8 countries (Panama, Mexico, Belize, France, Germany, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and Italy); all of these with the exception of 2 are because of the United States military. I guess even the other 2 were as an indirect result of the military because I wouldn't live in Arizona if it wasn't for the Army. I would have been raised in Iowa!!! The irony of life now is that I have thought about moving to Iowa to settle for a bit.
My mom married my dad while he was on leave from Germany. They had known each other for several years and were engaged already, but dad had been stationed to Manheim, Germany. So, she was whisked away to the adventure of a lifetime. After there first stay in Germany I came onto the scene and by 1980/1 we ended up in Arizona for a short stay.
While a kid I didn't appreciate the moving too much. I especially freaked out when we moved in August 1991 from Germany to Oklahoma. "Oklahoma?" I rememer thinking, "What in the heck am I going to do there?!"
I was making a good group of friends, I was enjoying school, and was just falling into my own with PYOC (Protestant Youth of the Chapel, I know...). Then we moved to "redneckville". It ended up being alright, but that was the hardest move for me.
Growing up in the military is probably what made me live and breath history. I now teach high school kids history and I can say things like, "Today we are going to discuss the Renaissance which blossomed in Italy and more specifically Florence, Italy. I've been there."
Did I enjoy the trip to Italy when I was a kid? There were moments, but it is on the top 3 of most challenging family trips ever. Do I appreciate it now? Oh yes!
Speaking of my job...I need to go to work now. :)
Posts
