Navy

Ya know, watching movies sometimes brings back memories, ones that you try to forget about. Allthough you know that you never will because of the affect it had on your life. Just outta high school back in ’95 I enlisted in the Navy but only lasted a month into boot camp; in Great Lakes IL. I wouldn’t have lasted one week had I not fought to stay in. Listen, they told me I have a hearing loss in my right ear great enough to keep me from enlisting during peace time. I was devastated! The navy was to be my career! I even signed up for 6 years, which was mandatory for my career choice. I wanted to be a Ballistic Missile Technician on a nuclear submarine. I had no back-up plan, nothing else planned to do. I have always wanted to be in the Navy though, to serve and follow in the footsteps of most of the men in my family. I had two uncles and my dad and other relatives that I did not know who served in the Navy. My Grandfather and other uncle were in the Marines. Now I see movies and remember how badly I wanted to serve and still do. I have never stopped wanting to. I have considered trying again as an officer now because I have been attending college part time. I am trying to get a degree in mechanical engineering. But I considered it only briefly and it didn’t take me very long to decide not to. Why? Well because I have a little boy who is two, and I couldn’t stand to be away from him long enough to. Yeah I was smart, I had to be to even qualify to get that job as a BMT, but I didn’t have any money for college nor did I have any desire to do so at the time. I did although have welding exposure back in my high school FFA (Future Farmers of America) program and I liked that, so off I went to my local technical college to get certified. Yeah a lotta good that did for me! I don’t believe that I ever got a job because of the certificate, as a matter of fact I had one employer tell me it was worth more as toilet paper but he still hired me. I have been supporting myself as a welder ever since. I was young. I still am. I always will be.