Christmas Away from Home
Spending Christmas on a military base in the Middle-East was something I never thought possible as a kid. Rather than be surrounded by family and friends, to be thrown in the desert with nothing more than a palm tree cut-out strung with old Christmas lights. No pine scent to inhale each morning. No holiday wreaths, or candy canes ripe for the picking. Plain cardboard boxes decorated only with shipping labels. No one standing outside the grocery store ringing a bell, judging me when I run inside and avoid eye contact. Well, I don’t miss that last one.
Christmas is rapidly approaching, and with it comes an entirely new perspective. In the six-years I spent in the military, deployment preparation was to be completed annually, something ingrained in our system from the start of Basic Military Training (Boot Camp). We spent a week in a controlled environment with dummy rifles and flak vests, practicing various simulated bombings, rocket and ground attacks, and learning the dangers of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Though no matter how mentally, or physically prepared I was, no amount of training could fill the void this holiday season.
I had separated from the military in January of 2017, and opted for contract Air Traffic Control position in the Middle-East. Family members voiced their concern, of course, for safety is never a guarantee. But I was committed. Easy enough, I thought. I had spent the last six-years training to come out to a place similar to this. No. Big. Deal. And for the next 20+hours, I was scrunched between two people, flying around the world.
Now back to this holiday season. Like most people, I’m sure you imagine waking up on Christmas morning, or for the other parents out there, being woken up early by screaming children, grabbing a cup of coffee and collectively forming around the tree to open gifts. Wrapping paper torn to shreds and tossed in a never-ending pile. Mariah Carey’s Christmas Album playing in the background. Toys ripped from their packages and played with right then and there. Someone yelling, “Don’t open it yet, I need to record this!” And a cheerful grin on everyone’s face. It’s not the stocking stuffers, or flashy gifts I’ll miss this year, it’s the happiness that comes with it. The warmth you feel from everyone in the room. The sense that no matter what is happening in the world, it is practically impossible to be upset on a special day surrounded by people who love you.
My goal with this blog is to ensure no one takes this Holiday Season for granted, as I have found myself guilty of in the past. It’s easy to forget the meaning of Christmas, but my time here has been an eye-opening experience I’ll take with me for years to come. I ask you to remember every part of setting up that tree, whether real or artificial. Each light strung across and the intoxicating pine scent. Frilly wreaths that seem to shed like a Border Collie. The ornaments on the branches and the candy canes ripe for the picking. The meticulously wrapped gifts organized under the tree. Sipping hot chocolate and sneaking bites from the cookie tray in the middle of the night. Putting on that sweater your grandma got you, even if it is a few sizes too small. Hell, throw a few dollars in that red bucket outside your nearest grocery store. The love of family and friends, because that is the most important part of all.
Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!
Anthony Thomas
Breachers by Anthony Thomas
Fiery Seas Publishing
Science Fiction
Coming 2018
Jason Conners is the last person you’d expect to run into a burning building, unless of course there was something inside worth stealing. Call him what you want: criminal, thief, asshole, but hero? Absolutely not. Jason’s questionable behavior and disturbing antics can only be attributed to one secret.
He can change the future, but with great power comes great responsibility? Hell no. His ability makes him the best thief in the city, and nothing is off-limits. Until Jason’s carefree attitude gains the attention of the Rogues, and the government.
The Rogues want him to stop catastrophic events from taking place, and the government has their own agenda. When the hunt begins, Jason is caught in the crosshairs and learns that breaching is not as limitless as he thought.
Can this anti-hero give up a life of easy money and become the savior the Rogues need, or will it cost him everything—even his immortality?
About the Author:
Anthony Thomas settled in the city of sin, though part of him will always remain in the small farming town in Northern California. When he’s not hunched over a keyboard, Anthony enjoys spending time with his wife, daughter and two dogs.
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