The Grand Reshuffling

Not everybody knows this, but I was in the USAF for 20 years. For the most part it was a great time. Almost like one of those commercials. I went to school, finished several degrees. Lived in a fairytale, Europe. And lived a few places I don’t need to ever go again. I even met my wife and came of with my post military plan for life!

One of the great opportunities the military offered me, is the reshuffling. About every 3-5 years I would move. I moved from Georgia, to Spain, to Germany, to North Dakota, back to Germany and finally to live here in Vermont. All this moving really did allow me to not accumulate too much, things or otherwise. Packing and moving is never much fun. Packing and moving and not seeing or having your belongings for 3 months is not any fun at all. I remember getting to North Dakota in January -- Good Lord it was cold!

Finally moves would help you to start with a clean slate. Habits, clothes, people and ideas about what we think is important. At a base, once you find out you're moving, you begin shedding knick knacks you picked up at a concert, ticket stubs from a gondola ride, or tshirts from a favorite excursion. Also like a New Year's your new working location brings you the opportunity to make new habits and resolutions. Going to the gym, eating right, better friends, and a better effort to do the right thing.

Our country is in the middle of what I am calling the Grand Reshuffling. Between the pandemic and the civil unrest about racial equality, we need to reshuffle what we think and ultimately how we act and what we are about. We have a huge opportunity because this isn’t a blind shuffle like a deck of cards, but a reshuffling based on the information we can see and already know.

When I moved to Vermont 15 years ago, it was a conscious decision to become involved with the community, to do business with those who do likewise. I remember the feelings of walking in local businesses and their treatment of me. I remember going to my first city council meeting with my child in a baby pack. I remember playgroups with other parents and meeting my neighbors. Later in business, I made a conscious decision to do business with people of similar ideals.

Now we should have a moment to reshuffle. What are your priorities? What’s important to you? What’s important to your family? What’s important for the future. Don’t be random, take control of your reshuffle.