Some of you may think I'm going too far for something I don't really want and/or need, or something that is too dangerous. Yes, I fully expect that at some point, I'll be shipped out to fight the "War on Terror." But I've realized I don't want to live a boring, completely safe life. That doesn't mean I'm looking for danger; I don't want to see the front lines, and I will avoid death at all cost of honor. But I do want to live a memorable life.
I hold great respect for all veterans, and I don't think I can earn that kind of respect by being a computer programmer. Not even if I'm a rich, creative, powerful programmer. The Army will help me define my own character, and give me the confidence to have opinions of my own; that's something I feel missing right now. Don't worry, I'm not going to just agree blindly with every word the Army shoves down my throat; I hope I'm wiser than that. Besides, the Army is going to give me the kind of stories I loved to hear as a kid, the kind I can tell to my kids and grandkids. Basically, I expect to come out a more well-rounded, confident person.
It may seem like I'm blundering into this too quickly, lured by every word the recruiters say about how the Army "will help my career." Please, give me some credit. They don't give a hoot about my career, as long as I'm a name on their contact roster. What I'm saying is that I've given serious thought to this decision. I know I could be put in situations at any moment that are life threatening, and I pray to God that I'll come out unscathed. But I believe that I will find something much more meaningful than a life of soldiering. I will find the person that I've always wanted to become.
Bravo, Chris! I've always believed that the service is good. They have benefits, they take care of you, and will make you a more rounded person.
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