“Coming Home” Blog

Sounds like the start of a really bad joke…it’s not.  Hang onto your hat, and I’ll tell you.

Whew!  It has been awhile since I posted.  I know that bloggers should be posting weekly, but life gets in the way.  We recently finished a crazy project.  We wrote an application for a government grant for our farm.  If you’ve never done it before, it is different.  I am an English major and love to write, and this was a type of writing totally new to me.

Kind of like dating…alright, let me digress…I’ve been told I have ADD tendencies…when you’re dating, you’re getting to know a person that you like.  And if you both have the same intensity of chemical attraction, it’s quite a roller coaster ride…or a Corvette ride.

Well, that happened to my now husband Rich and me.  Remember how we met?  At my church’s College and Career group in San Antonio, while he was going through P.I.T. (Pilot Instructor Training) at Randolph AFB.  I thought he was fun and cute.  On our third or fourth date, he was “babysitting” his friend Ed’s Corvette (thanks, Ed!).  When he pulled up in front of my house to pick me up, I was so amazed.  This was my dream car!  After coming to the door and assuring my mom that he would take good care of me, we were off to spend a day in the Texas Hill Country.  Behind the Corvette, he was pulling his boat (if you have a USAFA cadet, when he or she is a 2 Degree, or Junior, he will get to take out a loan.  Most cadets buy a car at this point.  My husband went in with a classmate of his and bought a ski boat!).  He planned to take me out on his boat and have a romantic lunch on the lake.

I got in the car and immediately felt like I was sitting on the road, it was so low.  A true gentleman, Rich shut the heavy Corvette door.  Right after that, he doubled over, holding his thumb and grimacing.  I actually thought he was joking around; even at this early point in our relationship, I knew he liked to play pranks and be funny.

He got in the car and didn’t complain about his hand.  We went on and had a lovely day.  We had a BBQ lunch on his boat using his Hibachi grill (there’s an infamous story from his Academy days about it; maybe I’ll tell you later), and then stopped at various antique shops.

The sun was setting when he turned to me and admitted that his thumb was bruised and bleeding and in extreme pain and I would need to take him to the Emergency Room to have them puncture it and relieve the pressure.

I was more than willing to help him, but was quite nervous.  I was going to get to drive my dream car, but I had to be careful, since it belonged to a friend and I needed to hurry, since my boyfriend was in pain.

I drove as quickly as I could.  Once there, we walked to the Emergency Room.  I stood outside the door but could see Rich, the doctors, and his staff through the window.  However, I am very squeamish when it comes to blood, and could not keep looking when the doctor started the treatment.

While this was a little bit traumatic, sharing this event together actually brought us closer together.  He couldn’t fly for awhile due to his injury, and of course all his buddies at P.I.T. joked that he did it on purpose in order to be in San Antonio longer!  I was not happy he got hurt, but I was thankful we got to be together a little longer!

But wait, how does all this relate to writing a government grant?  Well, let me see now…when you first meet someone and are attracted, there’s an excitement, right?  You want to spend all your time with them, and you’re even sad when you can’t be with them.  As Rich and I spent more and more time together, we realized we truly loved each other.  This outing took us to a deeper level in our relationship, as I had to reach out of myself and help Rich.

So, writing a grant.  I have done a lot of writing throughout my life.  I did journalistic writing in high school and college.  I wrote fiction from first grade on.  I love to be flowery and verbose when I write.  I could not do that with the grant.  It was very technical and specific.  It seemed like I was being asked the same questions over and over in different sections.

It wasn’t too hard, but it was challenging to have to be detailed and specific and not verbose!  I had to reach out of myself to write in this different style.  Kind of like in a relationship where you have to understand another person who you like, but they are different from you.  You have to learn to give and take, to compromise.  I had to compromise my verbosity in order to get my point across in the manner that the government agency would understand.

We have to wait quite a few months until we know if we will get any money or not.  It seems like a long shot!  Our chances of getting it are slim, but it was still a worthwhile venture, and I learned something new about myself and my writing, and about applying for a grant.  When I first thought about doing it, it seemed like some mysterious, difficult thing that I would have to go and take a class on, or pay someone else to do (a lot of people do that!).  But then, in true MacKeen fashion, we just jumped in and did it!  Did I ever tell you about the time we raced in a 340-mile kayak race with little training?  Well, that’s a different story for another time.

You may be feeling the same way about a loved one who has started on the journey of attending a military academy, or enlisting in the military.  It’s scary and mysterious, and you don’t know much about it.  Well, that’s part of the mystique and romance of it.  Just be willing to listen to your loved one, and learn all you can about what they’re going through.  And be comforted that this experience will help you all grow.

Well, I did it. I had another travel adventure. Our blog is called Coming Home, but seems like lately I’ve been leaving it quite a bit. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, though, right? I actually just heard a woman in the airport tell another person that she purposely goes away a few days every month, “just to clear the air…otherwise, I could not do what I do.” Amen, sister! I agree. I think that is my philosophy, too.
After my farming stint, I needed a break. Rich and I had been planning our getaway for quite awhile.
Rich is an airline pilot, and I tag along with him on his trips sometimes, especially when he has a long layover in an exotic location.
We arrived in paradise and had a fabulous time! Hydrotherapy, amazing lunch buffet, Japanese restaurant where the chefs give a show as they cook, Las Vegas show, yummy breakfast buffet with a beachside view, massage, and sailing…it was a short but full break!
The plan was for both of us to go home the next evening, Rich would be home a day, but then would have to leave the next evening for work. He would work on the farm and in the woodshop during his short time home.
That all changed as I met him after getting off the plane in Chicago. He had to work that night! A flight to New York.
Okay, I would try and follow him and have an afternoon in New York the next day before heading home. We decided we would work on the website that day.
I didn’t think there would be room for me on the plane, but there was! I boarded, but sensed that something was wrong. Several of the passengers seemed frustrated. It turned out to be a large extended family who was on their way to the funeral of the family patriarch. Some family members were running through the airport, trying to catch the flight, and those on the plane were concerned that they might not make it in time, and they weren’t sure if the crew would wait for their family.
They found out that one of the pilots was my husband, and they shared their story with me. I told them I would make sure that they knew. The flight attendant assured me that yes, they knew, and they were waiting. The family was relieved. Despite the traumatic reason for their trip, they seemed to be a close, loving family who seemed to enjoy each other even in the midst of their pain. I was glad to help, even though it was a small thing I did.
After all this, the flight was delayed. My husband came back and shared his condolences. He and the crew also kept in contact with the passengers, letting them know why we were delayed. This went a long way in calming the travelers, and was good customer service.
I recently read in the book Platform, by Michael Hyatt, that staying in tune with your customers, and doing everything you can to make something right when something goes wrong, is super important.
We try to do that with our customers. We aren’t perfect, but we try. And we will keep trying to improve and do our best to make our customers happy.
After the bittersweet experience with this family, we landed, Rich even gave the grieving widow a hug. We waited by the curb in New York, listening to angry car horns. The bus driver who was to take the crew to the hotel was not in his bus. He finally came to his vehicle, and seemed to have excuses for why he was late. He actually got in an argument with one of the crew members! I thought, “Wow! That is not good customer service! This is the opposite of what just happened in the airplane.”
Customers are not the enemy! They are the reason we are in business! The customer is always right…that’s what I’ve always heard. We need to do our best to meet their needs. And if we can’t, we need to communicate and empathize with them as much as we can. Business is about making money, yes, but by giving excellent customer service, mutually helping each other.
The next day was another whirlwind of activity. After a leisurely breakfast, we took a quick walk to Times Square, as we were staying in Manhattan. I got caught up in the busyness and crowds. I loved getting lunch from a food cart, and then walking past all the local businesses, seeing Sax Fifth Avenue, the diamond district, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, all the signs advertising upcoming shows and musicals, the long line of people waiting to buy tickets to the latest event, and the Jewish men in black with hats and beards, sharing their faith.
The “vacation” sadly came to an end as we made our way back to the airport. I kissed my hubby goodbye and now I am sitting on an airplane that is waiting to take off…really not sure if I will make it home tonight or not…uh-oh, I think I feel another “adventure” coming.

As a vendor, I’ve had cadets and parents come up to me and ask me, “Why should I buy a saber and a case?”  I try to convince them of the importance of it, but usually I don’t have much time.  I decided it might be easier to put it in a blog post.

Remember David Letterman’s Top Ten on the David Letterman Show?  In honor of those students and parents sitting on the fence about whether they should take the plunge and buy a saber and case, I present to you…

R & R’s Top Ten Reasons to Buy a Saber and a Case

10. If need be, could be used as a weapon.  (it’s not super sharp, but you could jab or whack a robber pretty good in an emergency…if you don’t have the glass cover on the case).

9. Pretty cool stuff for the “I Love Me” wall, or parents’ “Whew, I’m Glad They Made It, and I Love Them” wall

8. The education was free, and extremely hard, too, so you deserve to splurge and treat yourself

7. A saber AND a case together will cost less than the class ring!

6. For posterity.  We once had a customer who DID get the saber and case, but for his engraving was only going to have the class crest and school name.  I convinced him to put his name on the plate so that future generations could look at it with awe and exclaim, “Wow!  Great Uncle So and So went to a prestigious military academy (you fill in the name)!”

5. Awesome gift for a sponsor, AMT, AOC or other significant person in your life who helped you make it through.  Some cadets will get together and purchase a sword and case for a sponsor or AMT.

4. Peer Pressure.  Many alumni before you have already bought them!  Some of them at least bought the saber while still a cadet (cheaper that way), and the case later.  We’ve had guys from ’59 and ’65, for example, who tell us that they should have done it years ago; it looks so beautiful hanging on the wall.

3. Be proud of what you did, and inspire others.  Not too many people can have a sword and case on their wall.  It is a symbol of your hard work and sacrifice.  Some cadets have told me, “But I wasn’t in the honor guard or I didn’t use a saber while at the academy.”  Doesn’t matter.  It’s a symbol of your time at a military academy.

2. You never know when you will need it…for a wedding or other official ceremony.  Just ask Shawn Schulz, USAFA Class of ’06.  See his testimonial on our Testimonial page.  “Because Every Grad Should Have One” is what he put on his engraving.  We agree!

1. It’s a piece of history and a family heirloom.  And your family will love it!  (don’t wait, prices will be going up soon)