The World According To Chris Brewer

So goes my last blog post from Newport News and the Commonwealth of Virginia, barring any administrative weirdness that may block my path to leaving the area.

It’s been a weekend of “lasts” here for me. Saturday was my last Men’s Breakfast, Sunday was my last service, and today was my last full day in town. As I sit back and realize this, I am excited for the future but can’t help but reflect on the past two years here in Virginia (and four in the Air Force).

I can’t forget how Sean Wilder was the first person to introduce himself to me on my very first Sunday at Lakeside, back in October 2004. Two years since that day have passed and I have enjoyed just about every minute of time spent with friends from Lakeside. Even though it was kinda cut off in the middle by my deployment, and things weren’t quite the same after (nothing ever is the same after someone returns from a war zone), I look back on my time here with very few regrets…and that’s good for a two year period.

Yesterday as John Stevens, our regular worship leader, was out of town with his wife Barbara, we did worship a little bit differently. Betty and Phil Barker played the piano and trombone, respectively, and it was a little bit of nostalgia as Vivian Ashworth led us in hymns such as “I Never Shall Forget The Day” and “Love Lifted Me.” I thought it fitting as I manned the sound booth, and looked over everyone worshipping, that this was the exact same type of setting as my days back in the COGOP at Kelso, Washington. Same hymns — shoot, we even sang “Jesus, Hold My Hand” and I knew most of the words — same ambience, same spirit of worship that I began to feel grow stronger during my last days at Kelso. I guess not many others will see the connection, but it just spoke volumes to me — I think it was the Lord speaking, when I think about it — just reminding me as we sang away that I am indeed returning to my roots.

My roots are deep in the Pacific Northwest. I was born in Longview, Washington on July 20, 1984 and lived just across the Columbia River in Rainier, Oregon most of my life. I graduated from high school with 90 or so people there in 2002, and made the conscious decision to join the Air Force in November of that year. Through all the time I spent there I had many spiritual leaders I looked up to, friends who helped me along through hard times, and people who were instrumental in shaping who I am. I’m going to go back as a man now instead of a headstrong 18-year-old fresh out of high school, and hopefully be able to pay forward what many people have done for me, not just in Washington State, but in Virginia and points abroad.

Speaking of points abroad, my Air Force career has taken me places I never even knew about, such as Lajes Field in the Azores. Azores? Who’s ever heard of the Azores before. Not many people…and I sure hadn’t when I went there. Small little islands, about 900 miles west of and belonging to Portugal — and there’s actually an American Forces Network detachment there, where I worked for roughly 15 months, give or take a few days. The broadcasting work there was great, and I made some great friends and had some good spiritual mentors as well. I served as a volunteer at the base chapel for the youth group and somewhat furthered my meager post-high school education.

My Lajes tour wasn’t without its hard times either. It was during this time that my grandmother died, and it was no doubt tough on my family and myself. To make it worse, she died right before Thanksgiving 2003. In fact the anniversary of her death is coming in just a few days, and it’s still tough to remember how untimely her death was…but at the same time comforting to see how everyone at her funeral had something great to say about her. During that hard time, people at Det 6 banded together and supported me with everything they had. I’ll never forget what Senior Master Sgt. Hall and Master Sgt. Whitley and their families did to help, their prayers and encouraging words during that difficult time. By far that was the hardest thing I had ever gone through in my life up to that point, and God used people who I was close to while I was so far away from my family, to minister to me in my time of need.

After the Lajes tour was over, I was assigned to Langley AFB here in Newport News. The rest is history, so to speak….just browse back through some pages of my blog posts and you can read what has basically become a running chronology of everything that has shaped my time here over the past two years.

I’ve traveled a long and windy road from when I first raised my hand to swear into the Air Force on November 2002, to today. That road has ended, but there’s a stop sign and an arrow pointing me in the direction which to go…showing me another road to go down. It’s a bit narrower and a bit more windy and steep, but I’m going to follow it figuratively and literally. Tomorrow I depart for my first stop — Louisville, Kentucky — on my way to see my family in Missouri and eventually end up in Oregon.

I hope to post again tomorrow night, but after I throw this out on the Net I’m gonna go ahead and power down my computer, pack my remaining items and head to bed. Long day tomorrow as I have two more items of outprocessing to take care of, the presentation of my Air Force Commendation Medal, and then I’ll hit the high road to paradise.

There are just too many people to thank and that’s why I have mentioned but a few names in this post. If you’ve come in contact with me over the last four years and you’re reading this, you played a big part in shaping who I am.

I leave Lakeside, Langley Air Force Base, and the United States Air Force a better man than I was four years ago because of the people who have taken the time to get to know me, pray for me, encourage me, spend time with me and be my friend.

Until we all meet again someday, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Keep me in your prayers and I’ll keep you in mine.

You have my word on that.

Most aspiring athletes will try to show off their skills however possible. Not me.

Now that the title got your attention, check this video out. It’s a stunning commentary on how the media and society have created this image of “this is who you should be.”

Hat tip goes to the folks over at Until the Rapture because I saw it on their forum.

You can see it in reverse here…and it has an even more profound effect (at least I think so).

Rain, rain, rain…the Northwest is famous for it, but at times it can become too much for many towns and cities in Oregon and Washington. Such is the case in some Oregon towns, and it doesn’t look good with more rain on the way.

I think it’s kinda interesting because Ernesto hit us on the coast of Virginia a couple months ago, and this storm in the Northwest is kinda like it. Only it doesn’t get as much media coverage because it’s not a “named storm.” For some reason the towns in the Northwest tend to handle these storms a bit better.

Anyway, read about the storms a bit on KATU.com’s Storm Alert Blog (channel 2 from Portland).

I hope the weather isn’t this bad when I get to Oregon.

Apparently Krista Lankford doesn’t.

Seriously. Here’s how it went down.

A bunch of us were eating at Ruby Tuesday’s after church today and after we were done, received our checks. Krista paid with her credit card and right after our server gave her back the receipt, she asked “Where do I write the tip?” She handed the receipt to me and there were three lines on it reading “Total,” “Gratuity” and “Grand Total.”

I was incredulous and told Krista that a gratuity is the same thing as a tip. Even worse than having dined out a few times with us and having not known what a gratuity was, Krista has worked at THREE RESTAURANTS in her lifetime (Cracker Barrel, Ruby Tuesday’s and currently, Chili’s). Why she never knew what the other term for “tip” meant, completely escapes me. Every manager who trained her should be immediately fired and never allowed to work in foodservice again.

That’s like me as a broadcaster not knowing what DV stands for. Or like playing football and not knowing what a quarterback is. Or like driving a car and not knowing where the foot brake is.

Let us all give thanks now for Krista, for now I will never, even when I move to Oregon, let her live down not knowing what the heck “gratuity” means.

Amen.

After a week of extreme frustration due to many different things going on in my life, I finally received a shred of good news today.

Actually about a thousand shreds of good news.

After arguing with the folks over at the base finance office for a couple weeks regarding my terminal leave status, I finally went to my out-processing appointment and had the nicest customer service associate I’ve ever had help me in my four year Air Force career. While it was much appreciated, it would have been nice if everyone I talked to previously about my leave forms, and asked for help from, were as nice as the one who helped me out today. It would have made my life much easier.

The thousand shreds of good news come in the form of over one thousand dollars that I will receive to drive myself back to the West Coast. Since I’m moving my own stuff, the AF is paying me less than what they’d pay the movers to do the same job…but it’s still A THOUSAND BUCKS!!! I’m spending a TON on Christmas presents for my family and Aftan this year. No ring though.

So that’s the good news. I get some good Christmas spending money and that is awesome.

Onto other things, I went to Smithfield tonight to watch a JV football game between Smithfield and Tabb. One of our engineers at the shop invited me to go along with him and another airman because his son plays for Tabb as a fullback and cornerback. He did pretty good too, gaining over 200 yards on the ground and swatting away a pass when Smithfield was driving for a late score. Tabb won 22-7 and it was COLD out.

Tomorrow, I’ve gotta take care of some petty stuff, find out what’s up with Friday Night Fire and chill with some folks. Twelve days left here!!!

The past few days have sucked. I’m frustrated, tired, sick and worn out, and not just physically.