Zzzapp!

One way to deal with things that annoy you throughout a deployment, is to establish a routine in order to mitigate the problem. Especially if it is something you can't avoid. In my case, there is a phenomenon that, while living in Hawai`i, I never had to worry about - static electricity. It seems that everything here shocks me. Soldiers are masters of adapt and overcome. We are also, however, on the hard-headed side, so the actual adaptation sometimes takes a while. I was once told it takes approximatly 21 days to form a new habit. Well, since arriving here at Fort Dix, NJ I have been shocked well more than 21 times on various door knobs, bed frames or other metal objects I may come into contact with. That includes people too. I shake someone's hand or happen to touch someone while they're handing me some paper or some equipment, and I get shocked. Getting shocked 21+ times shows the hard-head part. As far as adaptation, I now take my key everywhere I go. On my routine shower or latrine trips (at all hours) I habitually touch my room key to door knob before I touch it. Whenever I am putting on or removing my snivel gear, it also creates lots of static electricity, so much so that when the key touches the door knob, I actually get a sizeable flash or an arc of electricity that is often audible. My unit members have heard my often acrimonious reactions to getting zzzapped by various pieces of furniture or equipment. I can't wait to get to theater, where I simply don't recall getting shocked like that when I was there the first time. If I could find a way to harness my own static electricity . . .