Boy! What’s that Sh** on your lip, dirt?

My first day in the military

Describe a risk you took that you do not regret.

I was excited and a little nervous; despite all the warnings, I decided to strike out independently and join the military. Talking about risk, I have never been one who would blindly follow anyone. I’d seen Officer and a Gentleman; I knew I couldn’t stand someone yelling in my face. However, I had to do something with my life. The Madre had busted her butt, getting ready for manhood. Hanging out on the couch wasn’t on the curriculum.

Hell yeah, I’m to get to ride on a plane. This is going to be cool, turned into what have I got myself into? In about 15 minutes. No one said anything about the hazards of flying.

“The time of your life!” they said

“Travel the world!” they said

HA! Let me be clear: if traveling the world meant getting back on one of these things, I was to become the epitome of a couch potato. Okay, maybe not a couch potato; I was willing to do anything that didn’t involve flying.

Fortunately, there was a very nice woman who took pity. She helped through what I considered to be pending death. She talked about her family and where she goes. Before long, I had forgotten my fears and laughed at her stories. I even told a few of my own. Then we started our final approach.

I survived the first flight, and they put me on a twin-engine plane. This was my introduction to turbulence.

“Lord, I’m sorry. (Sniff, sniff), Can you see your way to forgiving me?” I begged

Crickets

“If you can’t …take me now, Lord, just take me now!” I begged

This became my mantra for the remainder of the flight. Since I’m writing this, you can figure out things turned out fine.

After a bus trip, I finally arrived at the military base. Now, I’m definitely nervous. The largest man I had seen in my life was standing under a dim light staring at me. I’m standing there holding everything I own in the world, regretting everything at that moment.

“Boy, what’s that shit on your lip, dirt?” He asked,

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Well, that’s now me taking a huge risk that changed my life for the better. I have no regrets…

~thank you for reading~