I was having an engaging email exchange today and rather abruptly, without thinking, started down the path of one of my quiet little, held in reserve and close to the chest, "ism's." And honestly, it's one that I don't think much about as it's something I do now by instinct ...
Curious? (c:[
Long ago, when I was "only this tall" and a young officer, whenever I traveled and/or deployed, I would wear a set of non-regulation, gold dog tags. Yep, all the data was there, as they were the issued stainless steel tags that were (are) just gold plated. My thoughts were, "if I should die somewhere, somehow, someone would surely brag about finding a set of gold dog tags, and hence, it would be known that I was probably dead." So by wearing them, as long as I was walking, I was "golden." Call it, an "ism." These dog tags are my "for travel and under other than normal conditions" ID. Still wear them to this day.
Day to day, though, I wear something a wee bit less unique. It's a hand made gold chain that a little Turkish man made for me while I was living in the outback near Diyarbakir Turkey. It's a great little chain and has seen the world -- and on it I suspend a small symbol of my faith that was also hand made for me years later by a kind fellow from the Indian sub-continent.
Whenever I deployed into a combat zone, the gold dog tags jumped around my neck and I took off my little chain and I gave it to The Boss. She would start wearing it and would keep it on until I came home. I was with her, and she was with me -- and we really didn't talk about it. And although we know gold has no smell, she oft claimed that she could smell my scent on the chain, long after I was gone. We simply stayed in physical touch with each other through this small gold chain.
I won't ask you for any of your inner "ism's" but know, we all have them. Here were two of mine. Whatever it is you and your Spouse are using to stay physically connected while separated and in harm's way, cherish it and stay true to it ... mine brought me home every time ... Over&Out, MaintenanceToadOne
