Command Sergeant Major's Farewell Dinner

It is not often that you go to a mandatory military function and leave feeling as if the time spent was worthwhile but I think tonight was once. CSM Hayward Thompson is leaving the battalion and the military; tonight was his official farewell. I feel ashamed at my reluctance to participate. CSM Thompson is a great man. At first brush he seemed severe and aloof, but over time I realized how personable and caring he really was. I am not sure how but I think he knew every one of his soldier's names and something about their personal life. He cared. He really honestly cared. It is strange how much that still means.

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

Contentment is being at peace with who you are. Happiness, ultimately is joy or pleasure in something outside outside of yourself. One could argue with my definitions, but none can argue that happiness brings contentment or that contentment brings happiness. Many things make people happy but few bring contentment. At the same time, contentment does not guarantee happiness - many people are content with less than happy circumstances. It is well known that all the joy and pleasure in the world cannot satisfy or bring contentment.
My life as it stands, makes me happy. I like my job. My coworkers are generally pleasant people. I enjoy my time off. I am further from being content than the heaven is from hell. I am searching for that something indefinable, something vague, something that makes me say "that's it!". Since I don't know what or who or where it is, I am in for a long search. I like being a medic, but I'd rather fly. I'd love to fly, but I want to be in special ops too. Special Ops would be cool, being a spy would be cooler. Speaking Spanish would be fun; Mandarin Chinese would be the icing on the cake. Being James Bond for a living would be great, but playing sports would be fun too. Playing sports would make me happy for a while, but not for long. Programming games for a living would be great, but I can't see doing it all my life. In the end it's all vanity. It's all transient, nothing really matters in the end. It's just like in the Bible: Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.