Monday Moments 1-3-22

Living or existing.

I don't remember exactly how I got to Great Lakes that day.

Seems to me that my recruiter may have dropped me off.

I didn't have much with me except for the things I was lead to believe I could keep with me in boot camp.

White tennis shoes, white underwear, white gym shorts.

Surprise!

They took everything even my hair.

It would be the first shocking realization I would endure that day of all days.

Some of the paperwork had been processed and I was led to a barracks with what seemed to be a hundred beds and told to relax until everyone else showed up.

There was no relaxing, shortly after sitting down we are back on our feet and mustering for lunch.

The first heel to toe shocking event.

I was dying for a smoke break but there would be done for weeks.

I'd have two meals that day, both of which were very uncomfortable.

We were herded through the mess hall still in our civilian clothes while the rest of the base stared at us, pointed at us and laughed at us.

My thoughts drifted too there's nothing funny here, don't they remember doing this day in the very recent past?

Out of the blue Pat slap me on the back from behind and said you made it.

I didn't even recognize him with no hair.

He said can't talk now they are watching but we'll catch up later.

It was just like a scene from a movie standing there in line with my stainless steel food tray and fork.

I would never see him again until I graduated 2 months later.

When you don't have a plan and make a life-changing decision although the path would seem shocking and full of uncertainty at least now I had a four-year plan in place.

I just knew where I was no going back.

What the hell was I thinking.

The next day and the days thereafter flew by.

It was just a blur, something new everyday, something to learn, something to lean back on when the going got tough.

... and yes it got tough.

You can either set these goals yourself and push yourself to success or you can have others make them for you.

You only truly live when you live outside your comfort zone.

The choice is yours. #dbrn