A long journey home

I'm sitting here, sipping on whiskey. I read your blog, Princess, and reflected back on my life(That took 7 seconds). Patience didn't come naturally to me. Cocky, yeah, been that way my whole life. I was aggressive in my younger days. Temper, check. But in my younger days, patience eluded me. In the beginning, it wasn't important to me. I didn't need it. It was one of those throw away items like a pepper packet in a KFC meal. Funny thing how life works, I went to college, didn't really want to see my next 10 years in debt, so I joined the military to pay for college. At the time, I wasn't for sure it was gonna do much for me, but hey it was free college, and the uniform did attract the women(I was 21, don't judge). Turns out I was pretty good at the military thing and I enjoyed what I did. Whenever a deployment came up, I raised my hand, I did what was necessary. 9/11 happened, everything changed. One weekend a month, two weeks out of the summer became a joke rather than a motto. My career field was a small one, which meant stop loss came around almost everytime my enlistement came up, I couldn't get out. I had to extend or re-enlist. I didn't really want to get out, but I was never given the option until I hit the 16 year mark, 4 short of a retirement check. Pretty dumb to leave then, so it was decided I would do 20. In those first 16 years, I learned a lot, and for a good portion of that, I was mentoring others, training others, and supervising others. I was very good, and had made a quite deal of rank along the way. So after all this time, the one thing that had eluded me my entire life I had. Patience. You spoke of that patience in your blog Princess. There are a lot who come by it naturally, some who learn it. It took me 23 years, countless weeks in the field and 5 trips to the middle east to get mine. My point being, that patience you speak of, took a great many years for this hard head to learn, and to find you when I did, well it was the right time. The patience you speak of, wasn't there 3 years ago, wasn't well honed enough 2 years ago. If we would have met 15 years ago, you wouldn't have been interested in me. 7 years ago, I wouldn't have been interested in you. Meeting you when I did, you are everything I have ever wanted or needed. I met you exactly when I needed to meet you, and that is why I'm never letting go. I was meant to meet you, support you and fight for you now.