kitty pi

Words of Wisdom?

Tonight, I am driving to San Diego to say 'bye to Big J, my baby boy, who should now officially be an Army recruit, a soldier or soon-to-be-soldier, an E-1 active duty enlisted guy. He swore in today (and I have a little swearing to do myself!). He should be flying to boot camp in Kentucky tomorrow so I guess tonight is his last night of freedom, more or less. If at all possible, we'll be having dinner together. Laughing, crying and a lot of advice-giving will take place.

I am proud of him for making a decision and not just slacking off for the next few years while he figures out what to do with his life. I know there is some good (and maybe a lot of good) that can come out of it. I've had lots of encouragement from people who have kids in the service and a lot of people who have served. Quite a lot of our clients and upper management people were Vietnam era soldiers, sailors, marines, etc. They have nothing but good things to say about the military. But then again, their lives turned out great. I haven't had a personal conversation with anyone whose life didn't turn out great and I have no doubt there are lots of those, too.

Everyone tells me he will really grow up in the next year or three. He will be a better citizen and a better human being. I know lots and lots of people without any military experience who are those things too so I don't really know how that's supposed to make me feel better.

I think this will be a good experience for him provided he doesn't go to Iraq and lose a limb or worse. Despite my fears, I do believe that he will be okay.

It's ironic that a month ago I was scoffing at the yellow ribbons (made in China) that I saw on every other car - the ones that say "support our troops"- and now I notice them in a totally different way. I wonder if they have kids in the military. I wonder if they have lost a kid to the military. I want to reach out and talk to them about their fears, too. I wonder if they are just poseurs who are in denial about the reality of "war". I am suddenly more interested in not just the rhetoric we see in the paper and in editorials, but in the nitty-gritty details of what is happening with the war and the military bureaucracy.

That said, if anyone has any words of wisdom, I am into that sort of thing right now. I need all the encouragement I can get.

posted by Anita at 3:05 PM