Just Another Manic Wednesday

This title is a little misleading only because the word "manic" means to be frantically busy, or to have deranged excitement... which could actually not be any further from my life right now. However, while driving from the commissary earlier this week I had a realization while listening to The Bangles' "Manic Monday." What did I realize? That all my days are on continual Wednesday repeat. It's sorta like living the movie Groundhog's Day (minus all the stuff that happens... and Bill Murray). What I mean is that every day is mostly the same- adding and subtracting a few things sprinkled here and there. 

Living out in the middle of nowhere (or "the middle of everywhere" as the sometimes irritating optimist would say), thousands of miles away from family and friends, and having a husband who works 12 hours or more every single day of the week almost all month makes it a tiiiiiiiiiny bit difficult to get out there and have a blast. If I hear one more person, who has never been in a situation like mine, tell me to make friends, find a hobby, or another "at least he's not deployed".... my brain will explode into a million gooey pieces. Trust me, I want a bosom friend (Anne of Green Gables reference for all you n00bs who haven't seen it) and something I enjoy doing more than anybody else could want for me- however valuable friends can't be forced and hobbies have to actually be something you enjoy doing. 

Things could always be worse, of course, but for some crazy reason that doesn't seem to make the reality of anybody's situation any better. Yeah, I can't go running anymore with my big belly, but hey- at least I don't have lung cancer. Or yeah, my husband works constantly and rarely gets a day off to brighten the monotony of my constant Wednesday life, but at least he's not being shot at in Afghanistan for the next year. Yeah.... I get it. Things can always be worse, but I think telling people that their problems could be worse just makes them feel worse because you just gave a robotic/emotionless response to their pain. I don't wake up every morning with a bad attitude and I don't sit on my couch all day and think about how things just aren't the best yet, but on days like today it's a little hard to see past the ever-repeating days I live in.

I guess somebody could read this and try to encourage me with the usual sentiments, but the point of me writing about what's going on with my life is not to get sympathy from people who read it. It's just about letting people know what's really going on with me thousands of miles away, and maybe being able to help other people in my same situation in some very small way. Sometimes life hands you lemons and says, "Just hold these for awhile." And that's where I think I am right now. Every night I thank God for my husband who loves me, my baby who's coming soon, my Louis who keeps me occupied, and the hugely meaningful small but thoughtful acts and words of my family and friends. No matter how crappy, lonely, and boring I feel I'll still thank God with my whole heart for those precious things I do have.

With that said, maybe I have a complimentary theme song: the Beatles' "With A Little Help From My Friends [and Family]."

Katie