Procrastination, the Enemy I Embrace
Looking for the Magic Kiss to Bring Me Out of My Slumber
I have been part of the Medium community for nearly a year now, but have been largely a silent member except for a few responses. After all that time, I am just now posting my introductory theme. My reason for the long wait? Procrastination, of course! There are legitimate reasons for the delay both personal and professional. More than anything else, I believe it was not understanding what was involved in writing online, particularly the time commitment and choosing the right platform(s). Medium jumped out as a good choice for beginners with its ease of use, but still, there were many variables to consider. The choices in formatting, word counts, and what are the criteria between being promoted or not being promoted. My skills as a writer were honed largely in school and work, and one concern is if I could adapt that formal style of writing to this platform. Also, it did not help that much of my experience is in a somewhat eclectic career field. Whereas someone in sales & marketing could write a series of articles on the best cold-calling techniques and probably achieve a respectable reader base, my career in Emergency Management would struggle for the same success on this platform. At least, that was the argument going on in my head.
The Biggest Surprise
The hesitation with that first article was startling and quickly became a classic brain jam. My first inclination a year ago was just to start writing and see what happens. Enter the indecision that comes with overthinking the issue as I let my brain get caught in one loop after another. All the excuses one makes for not being bold. Then, one day, it came to me. The return of that original thought! Of course, it had been there the whole time from the start, finally revived from a deep slumber.
The trigger was when my wife walked in the room wearing a fleece jacket similar to the one that I used to wear with my uniform as a jacket liner. This one had an inscription sewn over the left breast commemorating my unit’s role in Operation Enduring Freedom while deployed to Incirlik, Turkey in 2002 and 2004. I had not seen or thought of it in years, and it surprisingly brought back many memories. I never was very nostalgic about my deployments whether overseas or local. I looked at them as something that took me away from my family and just part of the job. Sure, I had some good times and made friends, but also, there was a fair share of not-so-good times and not-so-friendly people. That is the life, and you took the good with the bad. By the time you got home and recovered, there were things to do and not much time to reminisce.
Flashback
Things are different now, I guess, and I remember seeing the insignia on the fleece and muttering to myself, “Well, there was one we got right.” It really was a great deployment during some of the worst of times just after 9/11. It was an Air National Guard (ANG) mission with mostly ANG personnel with ANG leadership. We did our job and then went home. The OPS Tempo was crazy, particularly when we first got there working with unfamiliar systems and people. The air bridge we supported was vital to the war effort in Afghanistan, and there was little room for failure. So, we put in the hours to make things right. Along the way, we met and worked with many of the local Turks and came to love the people, the country, and the cuisine. We traveled to places I only knew from the Bible and history books, never thinking that I would have the opportunity to see them in person. It was a great time, and I didn’t know how good we had it.
Back to Reality
Many years have passed since then and time and memories can be very confusing. That deployment seems like a 1000 lifetimes ago but at the same time it seem only a minute has passed. It encompasses a life and career that was altogether boring and exciting, filled with success while being plagued by failure. As my retirement date loomed, COVID struck. We survived it, but the harm was extensive and is still alive in minds and lives of many people. Then the fall of Afghanistan, which was a slap to anyone who supported that campaign or fought in that barren land, but especially to those who bled and the families of those who perished. I guess it is called the graveyard of empires for good reason.
Then in 2022, I retired after 36 years of service. I was given a truly great ceremony where my first boss, the gentleman who hired me, not only attended but presided over it. Then it was over, and I was never to wear the uniform again in an official capacity. I was shown the door, metaphorically speaking, but in a very real sense, I was no longer part of the team.
Reflection and Moving On
So, it should not be surprising that a memento from a long-forgotten mission would trigger some emotions. It was a different time then, The War on Terror was new; 911 had just happened, and this was before Iraq. The mission was clear, and our nation had the enemy in her sights.
At that moment of reflection, I reminded myself that I had a story to tell. Many stories actually, based on a myriad of experiences that hopefully will weave into some kind of mosaic of one story. All of those ancillary considerations related to writing and publishing online, such as establishing a following, getting noticed, promoted, etc., are still very important but should not get in the way of honing our craft, our gift. Writers are unique in that our therapy can be entertaining or, if we are lucky and just that good, make an impact on other people’s lives. We all have a story, and sharing is part of the therapy.
Still the Procrastinator!
I guess that I am avoiding the most important question of what I plan to write about so, go ahead and have a laugh at my expense. Guilty as charged and yes, another example of my procrastination! Well, like many of you, I usually have my laptop or a voice-to-text app close by and have accumulated nearly 70 pages of rambling thoughts and ideas I have put together over the past year. The spectrum is broad ranging from beekeeping and workouts to faith and leadership to . . .“Infinity and Beyond!”
Let’s get busy!
