Last Weekend

Last weekend I had my army reserve training at Ft Jackson, South Carolina. I drive over 500 miles to get there and over 500 miles back home. Almost every month I make the same trip. I leave Florida on Friday morning and get back Sunday night for a regular weekend. I spend about as much time on the road as I do in uniform for my weekends each month. I’ve been in this unit for a couple of years, and despite the weekends where we don’t accomplish much, I like the unit. I don’t mind the drive.

The first few months I was in my unit, I would drive up I-65 to I-85 to I-20 to get to Columbia, SC, where Fort Jackson is located. But my disdain for driving through Atlanta got the best of me so I found a different route. Now I take I-10 across the Florida Panhandle, then go north, driving back roads in Georgia to I-75 before getting on I-20 somewhere around Augusta. It takes a little longer, but the distance and frustration is less than driving through Atlanta. And the view is much better than being on an interstate.

Most months, the drive is good. I like road trips. There’s an always an adventure out there or a new sight to view as I drive. But this trip didn’t work out that way. As it happens from time to time on the road, I became anxious and irritable on my way up to South Carolina. I don’t know which came first, but they worked in tandem to make the whole weekend stressful. Unfortunately, that happens to me sometimes. I was in a funk all weekend.

I have a theory. I used to think it was just traffic and bad drivers in Atlanta. But, after almost two years of research by driving to South Carolina every month using multiple routes, I have concluded that my frustration is with Georgia motorists in general. I’ve been in traffic in India, Kuwait, Afghanistan, and many other countries all over the world (I’ve listed the three worst). Congratulations, Georgia, you suck at driving just as bad as motorists in third-world countries.

Here’s a suggestion. Stop spending so much time trying to figure out if you should call your mom’s brother “Uncle” or “Dad” and look in your state’s driver’s manual and learn how to drive. In that manual, you might find exciting information on how to properly use the lanes on an interstate. For example, stop camping out in the passing lane. Pass, or get out of the way. As far as your inability to use blinkers, refer to your vehicle’s owner’s manual. But here’s the Cliff’s Notes version: The blinkers are operated by the stick that comes out the left side of your steering wheel. Move it UP to turn (or change lanes) to the right, move it DOWN to turn (or change lanes) to the left. You can sit in your driveway and practice if you need. Your manual might have them listed as Turn Signals. Don’t let that confuse you.

On a brighter note, after almost seven months, I finally got some paperwork from the VA that I’ve been needing to turn in to my army reserve unit. It’s paperwork from a psychological evaluation I had last year that will have some bearing on whether or not I stay in the reserves. At this point, I don’t care what they decide to do with me. I just want to know. If I’m staying in, I will continue to give it everything I have. If I’m being put out, fine. But after more than a year and a half of being in Limbo, it’s time for the army to figure it out and tell me what’s going on. Is my career still going or is it over? This has been beyond frustrating for me. Either way, I’m satisfied and proud of what I did in the army. And I’d do it all again, even knowing what I know now.

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(and there’s one more ribbon I still need to add).

Thanks for reading this week. And to my friends that have Georgia tags on their vehicle, sorry, but the part about most of you not knowing how to drive is true. And you know it. And before my Alabama and Louisiana friends laugh and enjoy too much what I’ve written about Georgia motorists, y’all are right behind them on my list. Ha Ha! I hope you all have a great week, thanks for letting me rant, this post made me smile.

Good day, God bless.

Dave

Related posts:

Memories and Afghanistan

I’m ok, I promise

The Soccer Game

 

19 thoughts on “Last Weekend”

  1. My disdain which state drivers? Oregon. I swear those people have no idea, they just muddle along, at like the slowest possible snails pace on the highway.

    Oh! And up near Concord, CA…holy crap! They saw a cop, and ended up in a bottleneck of near NO movement whatsoever…and there wasn’t even an accident, they just a cop drive by.

    25MPH on the highway, because they saw a cop pass on the OTHERSIDE of the road. No lights. No siren. No speed gun. Nothing.

    I’m cruising along at 65 and notice the stoppage ahead and crawl for 20 minutes because some reject saw a COP driving in the OPPOSITE direction, back in 2008.

    Then there’s LA – those people are crazy. You definitely do not want to be on the road with Mad Max beyond Thunderdome gonnabee’s

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  2. Love this post Dave! Even though I currently live in Maine, the drivers here make me nuts (along with there only being one road to certain places). They drive way below the speed limit which in many areas is only 40mph so it often takes me 30 minutes to drive 16 miles to town.
    I’ve been thinking of you recently. Maine hasn’t complied with the Real ID act yet and veterans are being denied access to the VA! I simply don’t get it. The governor refused to sign a bill last week that would enable Maine vets who use the VA facility in NH because of it being close to them. Just nuts. Glad the VA got the paperwork to you. Seven months ~ wow!

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  3. You have managed to put into words about drivers with Georgia tags that I thought only I believed. They are rude, obnoxious, and oblivious to anyone else on the roads. And I still believe all Georgia drivers are issued a phone when they pass the driving test. Thanks for the enlightening post!

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  4. Hm. I think there are crazy drivers every damn place. I’ve live in two western states, two southern states, one New England state and europe. People are the problem, aren’t they always?

    Nice to see you up and coping. Also great to see you trying to solve what is solvable. Bravo!

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  5. I live in the mountains in Georgia. When Atlanta bails on Friday they run each other off the road, drive on the shoulder, text and run stop signs and speed. That is so they can get to the mountains and relax. I watched all the above every Friday. I finally called the highway patrol. Here is the dumbest rule ever. Cops in Georgia can’t hide to catch speeders. They have to be visible. Also they usually don’t ticket tailgaters unless they cause a wreck. Want to watch a bloodbath. Come on up on the weekends and watch the crotch rockets race each other on hairpin turns. Lots of fun and mayhem on the weekends around here.

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  8. 500 miles to attend your monthly Drill? That sure is a long way to drive just for that. While in the USNR back in the 80’s I only had to drive a few miles to the Naval Reserve Unit here in Reading. Once every other month or so would have to drive to the Naval Base in Philadelphia which is about a hour drive away. I wish you well in such a long drive.

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