Dateline: Kansas City International Airport, Kansas City MO, 21 November 2004

If you ever watch "Gods and Generals," there is this fabulous song of that title sung by a woman that is really quite moving. I think of it often while heading to an airport at the beginning of a journey home.

Heading home this morning and feeling very fine about that. I have been gone more than home over the past several weeks and I've begun to really hate it. When I left on Wednesday after only two nights home in a row, my older kids got back from school, called my wife a liar when she told them, and searched the house for me, calling my name.

I have told Vonne that this is my version of deployment, and it's the least I can do when others sacrifice so much more. No, I don't get to spend much time in my "ivory tower," so when I hear that charge, I often wonder if some people would be as vociferous about things if it involved doing anything more than just typing away from their den. My price of being away from home so much is a small price to pay, I believe, in the grand scheme of things, but for obvious reasons my kids don't agree--and I don't blame them. Having spent so many years living in military communities, it's a serious burden I see on a lot of little kids' faces, many of whom I've coached in various sports over the years (to my great delight).

Between now and the end of January, I'm going to be gone only 3 more nights and I am so looking forward to that sort of immobility.

But I do thank people for all the kind emails I get, especially on the road. That sort of stuff really bucks me up and I appreciate it immensely.