The how and why.

I've made a few tries at blogs in the past. Most of them failed miserably, mainly because of my own lack of interest. But then again I didn't really have any readers other than a couple of co-workers, so I didn't really feel to motivated to post things for people who I could just talk to on a daily basis. So why am I starting out with another one now? Well first of all, it's something to do. Anything that takes up your free time which doesn't include going out and spending your money has to be a good thing. And I kind of think that the next few years of my life are going to be fairly interesting, to say the least, and even if I don't have any readers I'm sure I'd want to be able to look back on my life and have some sort of a record. Like a journal of sorts, but not really.

I graduated High School in late May, 2002. I don't remember the exact day but it was only a day or two away from June. On June 3rd, I rode up to Stuart with my Mom and my brother, Robb and they dropped me off at the Army recruiter's office. I still remember that day so well. It's been a prevalent thought in my mind at many times throughout my Army career. This was usually at the bad times when I would think of how much I wished I could go back to that day, rip up the contract, go home and head off to college like all the rest of the other kids my age. Sometime I feel like the Army took some of the best years of my life. Years I will never get back. But I'd have to admit that the Army has definetly changed me for the better in some ways. I'm getting away from the main point of this post here... The Army gives you everything you need for life. A place to stay, food to eat and a steady income. A job where all you have to do to be considered a satisfactory "employee" is simply show up to work on time and do what you are told. That's ALL you have to do and you get paid every two weeks. I'd have to say the military is one of the best options--financially speaking--for anyone. Just do what you're told every day and you get paid, no worries as long as you can put up with the day to day nonsense. I've said all this to say that in the military, you are put into a false sense of security. That's how the Army works it's retention side of things. They get you to the point where you are afraid of the "real world." It may sound rediculous, but I've seen it. Grown men have told me how they are re-enlisting simply because they are afraid they won't know how to operate in the real world. Well I decided that's not the way for me. I don't want to have some huge organization telling me how I'm going to run my life for the next 20 years. Not to mention I'm not to hot(no pun intended) on going back to Iraq every 2 years or so. So I thought I'd start a blog about how my "Real World Experience" is going. This is mainly for family and personaly friends, but feel free to give out the address to a couple people here and there if you think they'd find it interesting.