I am off this morning to fly out to Fort Smith, Arkansas for a factory tour and 2 day duck hunt, where I will be staying at the appropriately named "Buck Shot Duck Lodge". Needless to say, this is "work" because I am taking customers with me. I am very excited about the trip, but I am extremely nervous for two reasons: I haven't flown since 1999, and I am leaving Kelly and the boys behind. I hate leaving them, and last night it about killed me because I told our 3 year old Eli I was going hunting, and he followed me around all night saying "I want to go hunning wiv u"........
I don't know which is worse, the flying or the leaving. I guess it is the leaving because the flight is a relatively short jaunt of only 2 hours. It will be over before it starts. Yes I will be busy for the most part, but the down time is what gets to me. I will miss Kelly bustling around the house at 90 miles an hour to get our kids ready for school. I will miss the interminable fights between Hagen and Clay. I will miss the races that ensue when Eli grabs one of Clay's toys. I will miss nights like last night where we all sat around and watched "Shrek the Halls". I will miss Kelly's humor, and the way she jumps right in when me and the three boys start our evening "bathroom humor" (which is usually right in the middle of dinner). I will miss being able to check on the boys and steal one last good night kiss from Eli before heading to bed (Hagen and Clay have sadly outgrown the kissing thing).
It's funny...the things I will miss the most are at times the things that drive me crazy. When I am at home, half the time I want to kill my kids for their behavior. But when I am gone, that's the stuff I miss. I just pray for my safety and theirs, and I pray that Kelly can sleep. For some reason when I leave, she has a terrible time getting to sleep. So she whiles away on the internet until the wee hours of the morning. Kelly has informed me that she is watching "Hairspray" all by herself tonight, because she knows we would have no part of it. I know she will miss me, but she does gain one thing when I leave: remote "control".
Ducks in hand, I will return Friday to reality, hopefully having secured more business for my company. These trips are actually good for our business, as we are such a relational type of industry. I am blessed to work for such a good company, and blessed to have opportunities such as these. Kelly thinks I entertain clients solely for fun, but actually having lunch with a contractor can be stressful because I always have to be on my game, and have to be an intent listener even when I am bored out of my mind. But home is never boring. Do I pull my hair out? Yes. Is it worth it? When I see my wife and kids, absolutely. I work for them. Even when the work is play.
1 comment:
Proud a' you boy...I'm excited for you and this trip. As difficult as it is to leave Kelly and the boys for a few days, you're going on an awesome adventure. And not just for yourself, but for good business reasons, too.
Next stop: Oregon. This time with the whole fahmery.
Have fun killing things! I will continue to hug trees.
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