Was my time in the Army and at McNair Kaserne really some of the "Best Years" of my life?

NOT REALLY

This time of my life was a mess. I liked the communications part of my job but hated my employer for its intrusion into my life. I loved Germany and especially the people I met while I was there but I was often homesick for my family. I was carrying a heavy load of self guilt. I had the opportunity to see prejudice at its worst.

I was young, very naive, and totally clueless to some of the things going on around me and to me. I often times treated some people in very bad ways and often times was treated by some people in very bad ways.

I was a basket case.

If you're still with me here, then good. It gets better now.

What I did learn from my experiences at McNair is that there are people out there that go far beyond me in the ability to show love, compassion, and understanding. I met some people while I was there that I will never be able to get out of my head and I am glad that they are in there. Two of these people made it all the way into my heart and will forever remain there. I realize now that sometimes difficult things must be done in the short term in order for better things to come in the long term. I credit one person in particular for teaching me a very important life lesson about myself; a lesson that later helped save my marriage to Angie. I only wish that someday I will have the chance to tell her how much that lesson meant to my life. I miss ALL the people I met there and often wonder how their lives went on after I left them. Perhaps someday I will.

I have also learned that the bad things were also good in a way. We just don't need to think about them near as much as the good things.

You want to know when the absolute best years of my life were?

Right Now.

I have a wife that I love and loves me in return. I have a couple of great kids. I have a great job doing what I always loved to do (mostly). I live in a very beautiful part of West Texas (as far as I'm concerned). I see more deer than people when I drive to work in the morning, and both types wave to me as I pass by. I have a small groups of wonderful friends. I've learned that keeping up with the Jones suck and have decided to live below my means. I pride myself in the fact that "I live in a double-wide on a dirt road in Texas." and most of my neighbors are retired. Life is good right now and I wouldn't want to change a thing.

Well, I would like to win the lottery or something...