There’s a lot of power in the title of this that is relatively accurate. In the months since I’ve returned from my trip overseas, I’ve began to realize that I’ve become pretty lazy. I’m not constantly worried about keeping my house clean, I let my email stack up for weeks at a time without answering it, I don’t feel inclined to work on a side project or cross items off my to-do list if I’d rather watch a movie or go for a bike ride. To most, this may seem normal. To me, it’s almost a complete 180.

Prior to departure, especially the immediate two months beforehand, I was the goddess of chaos. I always had a million things going on; always had to do lists everywhere that I felt obligated to cross off before I would let myself even take a few hours of sleep that night. I would obsess over the smallest things and want to make sure everything was in order at every minute of every day.

I’m not sure how much anyone else really noticed, but I noticed. I was anal about getting my car in or vacuuming to the point that I would cancel plans when those small tasks could’ve easily waited. I don’t recall if it drove me crazy though. I remember sometimes being stressed out, but I don’t ever remember feeling like I was too overwhelmed or out of control.

Since I’ve been back, I’ve had a much different outlook on life. I’ve learned to let go of things and truly appreciate the things that mean the most in life. The ones that don’t, can be put off. However, this has meant having a lot more me time and not catching up on some things that are important. I forgot to pay a bill on time once, and I still have a trunk from Afghanistan at the foot of my bed that has not been unpacked. I don’t remember the last time I washed my car and I have calls I need to make that I just haven’t made time for.

It’s interesting though. You’d think I’d be carefree; feel happier and less chaotic. However, I feel more out of control of my life because I can’t seem to get on even ground again, no matter how much I try. While I love it, I need to find a nice balance between before and after to make my life less stressful.

It’s also amazing what happens when you open your eyes to situations that truly matter in life and not just ones that matter to you or your circle of friends and family. Life and death situations, the safety of our country and other factors make everything else seem minute and pointless, even paying bills and keeping my house in top shape. Going through an experience like this is something that will change your life forever. While I’m not suggesting everyone sign up to head to Afghanistan, I think similar experiences can come from volunteering for projects that truly impact life. Just be cautious that you still have responsibilities on your plate. That will be what I’m working on the rest of the summer.

I think the title pretty much sums up everything I would put in an introduction quite well. Honestly, I have to say that the fact that this topic comes up quite often truly surprises me. Every time. When I made the decision to go overseas to support OEF for a project I was working on, it never crossed my mind this was an odd thing, especially since I wasn’t doing it for the money or because I had to. In all honesty, I practically begged for the opportunity to go over and volunteer my efforts.

I guess that yes, most Americans that support the war efforts in Afghanistan and elsewhere are predominantly Republican. And well, I am not predominantly Republican. It was never, and still is not, political to me though. I don’t think it ever will be either.

After being repeatedly asked, it forced me to think about the situation and really break down what my reasons and motivations were. It ended up boiling down to two reasons. My primary reason, and my thought process going into the decision, was completely based on my goal as a human sciences designer – to research the users of my products and ensure they are as usable as possible, rather than the user spending a lot of time using the system. The users happened to be in a rather unconventional place, so that is where I had to go.

As far as our efforts in OEF and OIF though, I have to say that I don’t have a ton of background information or knowledge to make an expert decision on whether we should be there or not, which I think is probably true of most people. Most reactions to the war are emotional. So I ask you to think about this….

We are in a war right now, whether we like it or not. There are brave men and women there, putting their lives at risk every hour they’re there. It’s not a one sided war either. It’s also a little more complicated than just pulling out and leaving. Anyone that thinks we can just pack up and leave needs to do a little more thinking and research. So long as a decision was made at some point to be there, means that it has to be done right and done well. So long as our Marines and soldiers are there I will be supportive of their efforts, pray for their safe return, and do what I can for their safety and well being.

So yes, I do lean towards the liberal end of the spectrum and yes I did all I could to help while I was there. I didn’t cringe every moment of the day either. I rather enjoyed it and was very humbled at the opportunity I received. I don’t see my viewpoints on things changing anytime soon; yet I would still return again.