Lefty Righty Low…

 Corporal Kirby Come on Out – We Wanna Hear your Motivated Shout….

Take it on the Left Foot – The Mighty Mighty Left Foot….

Take It…

I got it…

Low, Right,  - Ya Left Right LayOoo…

Low, Right, -  Ya Left Right LayOoo…

Low Right – Ya Lefty Righty Lowwww…

Low Right – Ya Lefty Righty Lowwww…

Aint no Use in Looking Down…

Aint no Use in Looking Down…

There Aint No DISCHARGE on the Ground….

There Aint No DISCHARGE on the Ground….

Back in my beer swilling, boot stomping, high and tight wearing, highly motivated, highly dedicated, Marine Corps days – I used to be the Hard Charger that got called out during morning P.T. to lead a platoon in cadence. The salty NCO’s and the Terminal Lance Colonels alike all seemed to show an honest appreciation for my white, Anglo-Saxon gift of both rhythm and rhyme. I used to throw in some Black Sabbath or Tom Petty lyrics on occasion but usually stuck to the tried and true tunes that referenced the Devil Dogs love for fast women, big guns, and war.

One of the old stand by chants prefaced this little essay. I can hear it plain as day even now. A platoon of half hung-over, barely awake, natural born killers reminding us to pick our heads up and hold them high – show the world who’s passing them by.

Aint no Use in Looking Down…

You know, I think of this often. Since coming to the Rock I’ve given up a lot of things. I no longer regularly drink Pop. Hell, that’s putting it lightly. I’ve only downed 3 twenty-ounce bottles in the past 2 months. There were times in the not so distant past that I would drink more than that in a day. I’ve given up driving – unless you count the few times that I’ve commandeered the school’s ATV to either haul trash to the dump or paparazzi to the airport. I’ve given up television – except for our Sunday Morning & Evening Football gatherings at the Melkerson’s.

I’ve given up my Cell Phone – well, that’s not totally true. I do use it. Once. Every day…it sits on my desk at school and I use the TIMER on it for Rocket Math. 2 Minutes for each pair of partners to whip through their Multiplication Facts for the day… I don’t think I get Roaming Fees for that. I’ve given up drinking Milk regularly. I love a nice cold glass of Milk…but in the Arctic, the cold part is easy. The "fresh" part is the hang up.  The list is long and I won’t bore you anymore with an itemized list of my so-called sacrifice.

But I do want to tell you about a new hobby that parallels this “Less is More”/Healthy Living lifestyle that I’m trying up here.

I walk.

I usually do my best to get out and take a walk at least once a day. I’ve been pretty good about it too. When we’ve hit stretches of poor weather and I’m stuck inside, I immediately feel the affects of complacency. The cold hasn’t bothered me. I’m from Minnesota and we dress accordingly, even if it seems a little early to my biological settings that I was used to. I bundle up and hoof it out.

I may have mentioned before that I usually like to keep a swift pace. It serves a two-fold purpose. One – it keeps my heart rate up and qualifies my stroll as “exercise”. And Two – the ankle biters can swing by for a hug and a quick “Whatchu Doin’?” but very few can keep the pace and they usually melt back in to the village.

A few weeks ago I was doing some self searching on my walk as I sometimes do and I noticed that I was guilty of stepping it out but only looking no more than three feet in front of me. My shoulders were leaning forward and my arms were swinging rhythmically which was good – the bad thing was that I was staring at the ground.

There Aint No DISCHARGE on the Ground….

The Old Marine Corps cadence hit me upside the head like a ton of bricks.

STOP LOOKING AT THE DECK!

PICK YOUR HEAD UP!

HOLD YOUR HEAD UP HIGH!

BACK STRAIGHT – CHEST OUT - SHOULDERS UP!

Insert the voice of my conscience here...

“Dude, you’re in ALSASKA!! – Pick your Head Up and Look Around You.”

“That’s the Friggin Chukchi Sea in the Flippin’ ARCTIC OCEAN!”

“Those Mountains over there…with the snow capped peaks…

yeah, dumb sh*t, YOU should be looking at them!!!”

And so I changed. I still clip along at a steady beat. But now I make a concerted effort to lift my head up and look at the things going on around me that I have never seen before. It’s crazy how much a simple thing like posture can improve your outlook on things. With age I've come to realize the psychological mind melding of the Marine Corps is purposeful on so many levels.

Kivalina could be an easy place to fall apart. It really could. But my wife keeps me in check. She can detect the slightest wavering of my conviction in a simple sentence tucked away in an email…and she’s good about calling me on it.

And I need that…

This has been a lot to take in.

I miss home.

I miss my wife.

I miss my kids and I miss my dogs…

But I may never walk this way again…

and so in the meantime, I’m gonna Hold My Head Up High – the view is so much nicer that way.

Did I mention?

I've lost 14 pounds and as of tonight, Xmas Flight Reservations have been booked!

 – that’s a breath of fresh air too!