Weather changes thing...

---

It’s days like today that can challenge the best of us. It has been rainy and drizzly all week. The clouds are so low that there are times that Camp Bondsteel is actually a part of the low lying clouds. Not unlike the Seasonal Affective Disorder, appropriately referred to by the acronym "S.A.D", here in Kosovo it feels like if only the weather could change we could be done with these feelings. In many instances we seem to be experiencing “winter depression”, and between the endless challenges with weather and just the normal tirades with a deployment, this can be challenging. This winter depression has grabbed ahold of me recently and I seem to be exhibiting all the normal symptoms to include: trying to over-sleep and having the overwhelming urge to "hibernate", serious cravings for carbohydrate rich foods, and then of course this feeling entitles me to want to over eat and then weight gain will be soon to follow.

It is a constant battle to not have the living life sucked right out of you. But as I have said many times, “False motivation is better than no motivation!” So instead of really feeling sorry for myself today I took a look around and realized that even if the rain continues and I get tired of doing the same things over and over again…It could be worse.

Currently there is a cloud of ash over the UK and much of Europe and is continuing to disrupt air traffic as eruptions from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano continue. It’s anybody’s guess when flights will resume regular service. I know this is not news to anybody out there but what could be news is how this natural disaster is affecting soldiers and families. Both commercial and military flights are not flying here into Kosovo as well, which has a direct impact on our R&R leave program, emergency leave and medical travel from here to Germany. There are soldiers who left 5 days ago and are stranded in Germany and cannot move forward or backwards. Children back home who have been eagerly counting down the days until mommy or daddy come home for a short visit are disappointed and do not understand the strange circumstances; they just know that their loved ones are not there. First communions, band concerts, family vacations, and even a case of a marriage proposal are all being cancelled. Those are just a few of the affects happening to soldiers trying to get back to the states. One family is even separated overseas since their plans to meet have been thwarted; soldier in Germany, wife in Spain. From the United States we have many soldiers whose leave has been extended because of the volcanic fallout, but they are in airports far from their homes just waiting for flights to get them to Germany. It truly is a shame but for once there is absolutely nothing that we can do to make any of the conditions change.

Sadly, the military is affected in so many ways that even the missions that are critical are quietly changed so not to interrupt essential emergency services. Medical evacuations of the seriously wounded soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan that normally travel into Landstuhl Medical Center in Germany have all had to be re-routed to Andrews Air Force Base just outside of Washington DC. This has not created any delays in care given to soldiers but it has forced an entire medical system to change because a simple volcanic eruption decided to create the world’s biggest air travel shutdown since World War II. These modifications have led to operations that now involve mid-air refueling because of the sheer distance from the war zones to the stateside medical facilities or at times using military bases in Italy for fuel stops. No matter what, many military personnel across the world are sacrificing their time and talents to help causes bigger than themselves.

So maybe my little complaint about having a few days of rain is truly irrelevant in the big picture. Sure, there is some over-land flooding here in Kosovo and there is standing water in low lying areas. But in a few days it will seep into the ground and grass will grow and a lush greenness will overtake the pastures, turning Kosovo into a beautiful sight.

But for today thousands of people are not having a good day. An unbelievable number of people have been inconvenienced and will miss many events that are important in their lives. Families are feeling like they have been let down by their loved ones. But maybe from a global perspective we as human beings can find opportunities to assist with the little things. A kind word can be so important to someone who is frustrated by events they cannot control. Smiles can travel across the miles and are invisible to any language barriers that may exist across the cultures of the world.

So as these next few days of uncertainty for our friends and families come upon us, remember that this is bigger than us. Disaster happens and it is up to us in how we handle the hand dealt us. Reach out and give the better parts of who we are. My rainy days are just that…rainy days.

So for tomorrow…Let us somehow make a positive difference in someones life.



This is the beginning of a new day.
You have been given this day to use as you will.
You can waste it, or use it for good.
What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it.
When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever.
In its place is something that you have left behind,
“Let it be something good”.
-author unknown-

---