Well, I saw one of my old buds during the field trip ... He's still a kid to me even though he's really not. He flys Citations for a local operator ... helped me out with my HP stuff back in the day. He is not taking good care of himself health wise and I say buddy, I'm gonna talk to you like your momma here for a minute ... his eyebrows went up, like Uh oh! Too funny. Cracks me up. I've known him since he was a CFI with three jobs and a wife ... trying to make ends meet. He gave me my first Kershner book. Man! I hated to see him not looking strong. I know what stress does to you!
He was along chaperoning the field trip too and it was nice to visit. I won't share his business which we kicked around while the kids were corralled on the riverboat ride (they loved it!). He asked me how things went on my side of the fence and I gave him the Reader's Digest version while he sat there shaking his head no. Yes, it is hard to believe. He knows the players though and said seems like these old military guys are either extremely well packaged individuals or real ... well hmmm ... okay ... or really not. I can almost laugh at myself about the job interview ... My buddy sure did when I told him how I answered the question about my view on the one particular person out there. Buddy started shaking his head a bit more vigorously and laughing while saying, "No,no,no ... see, you answer like I do ... but you misinterpreted the question ... what they were really asking is can you play the game!". I said I could definitely respect the position without respecting the man ... but that job would be pretty rough ... everyone's consensus is my work life would be miserable there ... even more so then most of 'em. I am truly okay and somedays even have enough sense to be thankful that I didn't get hired ... I woulda spent a lot of energy just trying to make things right ... . Can't really take a lot of wrong and make right out of it. This is what surprised me ... I almost teared up when I asked him if he thought I'd ever be able to put my instructors certificate to good use. Here ... Where I sit typing this morning ... I feel a lone tear sliding down my cheek and I brush it away before my little girl comes in here ... I hear her looking for me, she wants me to throw the Frisbee with her and Sammy.
That tear answers my question ... Where do I invest like that?. That tear ... And what I do with it.

Buddy says, "Awwww DeAnn ... Of course you will be able to use those certificates!" I tell him the guys around the flight school who I worked with say otherwise...use it or lose it. He asks me when I started believing anything those kids say ... and I look directly at him to see if he believes it ... and he looks directly at me and nods ... he says those kids don't know anything about real life yet. He tells me to FIRC the thing if I have to, that I can use it when we move back to Texas if not before.

I was surprised to see him ... his wife does these field trip things ... his name tag read her name 'cause they were expecting her to help out. But he showed up instead. It's interesting how things work.