JoeSeabee

JoeSeabee is a nickname I picked up during my service with the Naval Construction Force as a Heavy Equipment Operator and has affectionately remained a part of me..  I was reminded today how deep this identity still exists as a permanent part of "Who I Am".

Remember when JoeMaMa was a comedy routine for Flip Wilson?  JoeSeabee came about one evening while on deployment while we were sitting around and joking.  The name became my first email address.  It was JoeSeabee who gave me the first glimpse of how our environment, our profession, and the people we hang out with influence who we can become.

You see JoeSeabee wasn't the high school athlete, the quite child raised in rural Western New York.  He was a very strict military professional, full of pride and ego, often very selfish and distant, and a willing participant in things Joe should not have been doing.  Yet JoeSeabee was successful, a strong leader that military men and women wanted to follow, but there was a cost.

Battalion life contributed to my military success opening my eyes to discovered gifts I never fully used growing up.  I also learned how intoxicating power can be.  The good news, there were those in my life (Judy my wife, being one of the most important and influential) who kept me grounded and prayed for me constantly that helped bring me back to a faith life that would school me in retaining the discovered gifts and use them for the greater good of others.

Back to what reminded me of how deep this identity of JoeSeabee is within me?  I was asked for input on a bulletin note to encourage our church community to prayer "with" the families of military members serving throughout the world.  Drafting the request and prayer became a very emotional thing for me as I remember that piece of my life.  22 years, thousands of brothers and sisters in arms, the experiences, the growing and maturing.

I am proud to have served my country and proud of the men and women who volunteer to defend and serve today and into the future.  May God bless and protect them.  May their families feel our prayers of support and compassion for them.