Step by step, inch by inch

My decision to attend the 2010 Navy Musicians Association reunion was a slogging march through the mud of finances,scheduling and priorities.

Step One: I payed my 2010 dues to the NMA.  

Step Two: I talked about the reunion with my wife. Nothing big about this step either--around this time of year I'm always talking about the NMA. At least Jo thinks so.

These are tough times, and I know I'm not the only one for whom money is tighter than the head on a Scottish snare drum. But Jo knows how important the NMA is to me. Go, she said, even though she probably wouldn't be able to join me.

Step Three: I registered for the reunion.

Step Four: I talked to my boss about getting a week off from my job in the public library. Sure thing, she said. I guess she remembers how I returned from the reunion last year invigorated, refreshed and demonstrating a renewed commitment to customer service. Okay, maybe not, but she gave me the time off.

Step Five: I made reservations at the San Antonio Doubletree.

Step Six: I made  my airline reservations. Actually, my wife made the reservations--for me and for her, too. Looking at her work schedule, she saw that she could come to San Antonio for part of the reunion.

So I'm in, though there's more to do.

Step Seven: Because my wife and I will fly to San Antonio on different days, I have to secure reliable transportation to the airport. My Mazda Miata, the object of my affection since 1991 (and the object of Terry Chesson's derision since 1993) is on the fritz. More accurately, it's on the hydraulic lift in the repair shop. Whether or not Old Blue can be resurrected remains to be seen. (No, Terry, it's not a piece of $**t; it's a classic that has seen better, more robust days. Like some people I know.)

Step Eight: Now that I know I'm coming to the reunion, I can start contacting friends who have never signed up and encourage them to attend. I've never been a saleman, a promoter or recruiter. But once you get an old shipmate to an NMA reunion, you're likely to see him year after year. Working on an old buddy can take time and persistence, but the payoff is worth it.

I know, because it's exactly how Terry Chesson got me to my first reunion.