So you may be asking, how did you end up where you are today, with a little over 30 years in military service. For this, we have to look back at the beginning. No, I’m not going back all the way to when I was born (perhaps I’ll leave that for another day). Lets start with something I call “The phone call” that truly did change the projection of my life.
Sometime after my 16th Birthday, I got a call from one of my brothers that a recruiter was calling around and that I shouldn’t entertain the call when I get it and just hang up. Thinking about it now, it would seem that he must have had just given my information to the recruiter, because as soon as I hung up with him our phone rang, and as expected it was the recruiter. The call lasted a bit longer than expected. I remember trying everything I could to inform the recruiter I just wasn’t interested. During the conversation the recruiter kept trying to get me to come by the office, watch a few videos and see if anything interest me. I informed him that my grades in a few class were low, I couldn’t miss any class time, that after school my work schedule was hectic and I just didn’t have the time. He went as far as stating that it would be an excused absence from school, sanctioned by the administration, and that at worst, I’d be out of school for a day without any repercussions. Well, what 16 year old doesn’t want an excused break from school…
Reflection: Sometimes, something as simple as answering a call and / or checking out something new, can drastically change the course of your life. Who knows what would have been if I never answered the call, or if I didn’t even consider checking out the videos and options available.