mychai's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This Year's Memorial Day Memorial Day. I don't know if it was Sept. 11. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I will soon be in the military, working side-by-side with people who may die for our country. Maybe it is realizing that the decision I have been mulling over for the past 3 months could ultimately lead to *my* death. When someone says, "JP... Don't go into the military. You could get killed!" I usually respond with something to the effect of, "I'm just an overweight guy who wears glasses. They won't give me a gun, even if Osama was standing right next to me." But if I said I didn't have dreams at night of knowing I was going somewhere to face imminent death, I would be lying. I'm not joining the Air Force to be brave. I'm not joining to get Osama. I'm not even doing it so I can wear a nifty uniform and be saluted. Compared to Viet Nam soldiers who cried to their moms in some random, ugly jungle; compared to the guys who were killed in the Ardennes Forest during the Battle of the Bulge; compared to the guys who fought in the late 1700s and never saw the fruits of their work, my reasons for entering the military seem, well... unworthy at best. The main reason I'm joining? I want a wife. And a youngin'. And there just aren't many jobs out there for blokes with English degrees. At least, there aren't many jobs that pay above, say, minimum wage. And I have always promised myself that I wouldn't get married unless I could support both of us. Now, Air Force people don't make much money. But, I will be able to feed a family, provide health care for a family, and raise them in at least semi-respectable housing. If my wife works, bonus. But I want to know I can support her if she doesn't. My Uncle was in the Air Force all of his working life. And I have two beautiful cousins who seem relatively happy. The life can't be that bad. So, yeah... I am joiining the military so that I can maybe one day happen upon a Ms. Perfect that has the ability to take my breath away. I will be able to tell her I love her and will be there through thick and thin. And together, she and I will have our very own litte Ms. Perfect. Though highly romantic and overly sappy, it seems to be a pretty superficial reason compared to the reasons the firefighters climbed 30 flights of stairs on September 11 before realizing they would never see their loved ones again. Those guys... They were brave. Memorial Day this year won't be taken lightly. I won't take my freedom for granted this year. 10:51 p.m. - Sun., May 26, 2002 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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