Christmas in the camp

No shit...this is real. It's not my first Christmas away from home, anyway I haven't been living with my parents for 8 years now (this is the ninth one) but it is the first and last time I am passing my Xmas celebration in the camp.

I was at the choir of the camp for today's carols (we do that the day before Xmas in Greece) and we went to the bishop, the General, the mayor and other people of the city to sing the carols to them. That's probably the only thing that made me remember it's this time of the year. Oh yes, and the cold and wind of course, but that could happen anytime.

There's no other things happening on that respect. I mean there's no gifts, no close people of mine nearby, no wishes, no shopping, no family gathering no nothing. Is it all that depressing? I'll tell you one thing: I have my first 6 hours guarding shift in my new camp tomorrow evening, and I don't feel that bad. In fact, I don't feel bad at all. I think it's all a mind game, once you convince yourself that this is it, if you can tolerate it, the trick is not to compare with any other situation in the world.

Is this called lack of ambition? Lack of will for a better lifestyle? For me, I think not. It's called compromise and adaptation, and that's what you have to do in the army if you don't wanna end up depressed and miserable. There's quite a few people here and there that call me apathetic, also from my previous non military life, but I see myself as a pragmatist. I am gonna miss my family and friends and an exciting Xmas celebration, but that's not gonna change this year's Xmas for the better. So I'll try to have fun here where I am, and I wish all the world to cherish their time as much as they can.

After all, I got all the important things I need in life. A bunch of people I call family and friends who love me and whom I love, my health, an interesting life so far and ambition for a better one in the future. I wish you all the same for the year to come. Have a merry Christmas.