After an extended stay on the bench, one would think a " day off " would be the last thing a guy like me would look for. Well the program I am on in the sandbox provides a "day off" once a week, unlike the DOD ones I worked before where you were locked into a 7 day a week, 12 hour a day schedule for the term of the contract. Even though those who work on the 7 day a week schedule get R&R, working 5-6 months straight on a 84 hour a week schedule w/o a day off wears down even the strongest of workers. So the 6 day week deal seems like a better idea.
The key thing is there isn't anywhere to go on the day off. Unlike being at home, you can't take a ride to the beach, visit friends or even go out for a bite. The nature of this assignment means you accept certain "limitations" along with the assignment. No worries, as I was aware of what would be required before heading out overseas. I understand the issues presented and I am glad to be here, helping others who need it and also providing what is needed for my family.
Working overseas is not ideal but there are situations that many face today which are much much worse. Middle aged workers out of work and/or underemployed, families facing foreclosure, people that sacrificed to provide a college education for their kids see them graduate into a rough economy and a general feeling that there is a complete lack of leadership from the present administration and those in charge on our state level.
People at home are scared of what the future holds. Many are presently still out of work in a morbid economy that has produced stagnant wage levels, no opportunity for workers who have spent their lives building a solid career with hard work, while local/state/federal employees have rewarded themselves with lifetime income & benefits on the taxpayers to the detriment of all others by rigging the system. Add to that politicians who are dedicated only to their own reelection.
Yeah, it is a depressing set of circumstances all the way around. Sorry to be a real buzz kill. I'd be lying to you if I didn't tell it like it is.
What can each of us do ? Too many sit on the sidelines when it comes to voting and being aware of what is going on in your local town and state politics. Like baseball, you can't tell the players without a score card. Be aware of what is going on.
One of the first rules of being in an area that is problematic and/or dangerous is to be " situationally aware". To wit, understand the nature of your location and/or battlefield, where the problems can be and how you can best prepare yourself to face adversity. The average family at home finds itself facing much adversity. If this is so, why are so many willing to ignore the actions of those who game the system and make it tougher for families to provide for themselves and their future? If you don't think daily life for most is a "battle", you are not willing to see the reality of things.
Getting involved, participating in local government by being aware, voting and making sure those in decision making positions know you are aware goes a long way toward changing things. Yeah, I understand each of us already has a lot on our plates but not taking this aspect of your responsibility as a citizen seriously could be more harmful than you can imagine to your life and the lives of your kids. How much better would things be if 90-100% of those eligible to vote would vote ? You need to take personal action to make your situation better. At the same time, you'll be helping others too.
The toughest part of a day off with no where to go is it gives you a lot of time to think about what is important and what is required of each of us. I'm doing my part and will keep aware even from afar. I'd advise you to spend some time thinking about what you could do to improve your "situational awareness" on your day off. Yeah, there are more fun things to do on a day off, but this one is kinda important. Take it from me, we'll all be better off if you do.
Me ? I'm proud to have always been a sheepdog.....
My love of our K-9 companions knows no bounds because I share an understanding of what Dogs know instinctively, that some must stand ready to fight the Wolves....always.
On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs - Dave Grossman - By LTC (RET) Dave Grossman, author of "On Killing."
One Vietnam veteran, an old retired colonel, once said this to me:
"Most of the people in our society are sheep." They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident." This is true. Remember, the murder rate is six per 100,000 per year, and the aggravated assault rate is four per 1,000 per year. What this means is that the vast majority of Americans are not inclined to hurt one another. Some estimates say that two million Americans are victims of violent crimes every year, a tragic, staggering number, perhaps an all-time record rate of violent crime. But there are almost 300 million Americans, which means that the odds of being a victim of violent crime is considerably less than one in a hundred on any given year. Furthermore, since many violent crimes are committed by repeat offenders, the actual number of violent citizens is considerably less than two million.
Thus there is a paradox, and we must grasp both ends of the situation: We may well be in the most violent times in history, but violence is still remarkably rare. This is because most citizens are kind, decent people who are not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme provocation. They are sheep.
"Then there are the wolves," the old war veteran said, "and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy." Do you believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without mercy?
You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial.
"Then there are sheepdogs," he went on, "and I'm a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf."
If you have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive citizen, a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath, a wolf.
But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your fellow citizens? What do you have then? A sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the hero's path. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed
Let me expand on this old soldier's excellent model of the sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. We know that the sheep live in denial, that is what makes them sheep. They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world. They can accept the fact that fires can happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout their kids' schools.
But many of them are outraged at the idea of putting an armed police officer in their kid's school. Our children are thousands of times more likely to be killed or seriously injured by school violence than fire, but the sheep's only response to the possibility of violence is denial. The idea of someone coming to kill or harm their child is just too hard, and so they chose the path of denial.
The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, can not and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheep dog who intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours.
Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he didn't tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our airports in camouflage fatigues holding an M-16. Some sheep would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, "Baa."
Until the wolf shows up. Then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog.
Look at what happened after September 11, 2001 when the wolf pounded hard on the door. Remember how America, more than ever before, felt differently about their law enforcement officers and military personnel? Remember how many times you heard the word hero?
Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a sheepdog; it is just what you choose to be. Also understand that a sheepdog is a funny critter: He is always sniffing around out on the perimeter, checking the breeze, barking at things that go bump in the night, and yearning for a righteous battle.
That is, the young sheepdogs yearn for a righteous battle. The old sheepdogs are a little older and wiser, but they move to the sound of the guns when needed right along with the young ones.
Here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently. The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, most of the sheep, that is, most citizens in America said, "Thank God I wasn't on one of those planes." The sheepdogs, the warriors, said, "Dear God, I wish I could have been on one of those planes. Maybe I could have made a difference." When you are truly transformed into a warrior and have truly invested yourself into warriorhood, you want to be there. You want to be able to make a difference.
There is nothing morally superior about the sheepdog, the warrior, but he does have one real advantage. Only one. And that is that he is able to survive and thrive in an environment that destroys 98 percent of the population.
Some people may be destined to be sheep and others might be genetically primed to be wolves or sheepdogs. But I believe that most people can choose which one they want to be, and I'm proud to say that more and more Americans are choosing to become sheepdogs.
Seven months after the attack on September 11, 2001, Todd Beamer was honored in his hometown of Cranbury, New Jersey. Todd, as you recall, was the man on Flight 93 over Pennsylvania who called on his cell phone to alert an operator from United Airlines about the hijacking. When he learned of the other three passenger planes that had been used as weapons, Todd dropped his phone and uttered the words, "Let's roll," which authorities believe was a signal to the other passengers to confront the terrorist hijackers. In one hour, a transformation occurred among the passengers - athletes, business people and parents. -- from sheep to sheepdogs and together they fought the wolves, ultimately saving an unknown number of lives on the ground.
There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men. - Edmund Burke
If you want to be a sheep, then you can be a sheep and that is okay, but you must understand the price you pay. When the wolf comes, you and your loved ones are going to die if there is not a sheepdog there to protect you. If you want to be a wolf, you can be one, but the sheepdogs are going to hunt you down and you will never have rest, safety, trust or love.
But if you want to be a sheepdog and walk the warrior's path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision every day to dedicate, equip and prepare yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door.
Their only response to the wolf, though, is denial, and all too often their response to the sheepdog is scorn and disdain. But the sheepdog quietly asks himself, "Do you have and idea how hard it would be to live with yourself if your loved ones attacked and killed, and you had to stand there helplessly because you were unprepared for that day?"
After an extended stay on the bench, one would think a " day off " would be the last thing a guy like me would look for. Well the program I am on in the sandbox provides a "day off" once a week, unlike the DOD ones I worked before where you were locked into a 7 day a week, 12 hour a day schedule for the term of the contract. Even though those who work on the 7 day a week schedule get R&R, working 5-6 months straight on a 84 hour a week schedule w/o a day off wears down even the strongest of workers. So the 6 day week deal seems like a better idea.
