You know those days when you're slightly frazzled because you get woken up at 7:30 by frat guys playing beer pong across the street? Then you keep hitting snooze on your alarm at 9, don't get up until 9:45 when you were supposed to be at the library, finally get to the library at 11, and sit down with a cup of coffee to casually check your e-mail before starting your "real work"? You know when one of those e-mails lets you know that your oldest friend in the entire world is taking time off school to join the Air Force for 4 years? Yeah. I've had one of those days.
On one hand, I'm so so SO proud of him for figuring out that he probably wouldn't have gotten the most out of his college experience by staying at an institution 30 mins. away from home, with ~60% of his high school. With so much to offer the world (ahem, a triple major in Physics, Economics and Engineering?), I personally think that he would have been better served out-of-state, away from his comfort zone. But that's the thing about him: he wanted to stay close to home - even floated the idea of joining the military right out of high school - to help his parents save money to put his younger brother through college as well. After two years, lots of research and conversation with the Air Force people, he decided this was his best option. And we have to be supportive of his decisions, right?
I surprised myself with my reaction to the news. Tears began to fill my eyes as I read the words on the screen - I think a part of me was taken back to the times when I'd listen to my grandmother tell stories about how her neighborhood was emptied of it's "of-age" boys during the war. Of course, this is nowhere near the caliber of that time. But it made our involvement in the Middle East real for me. I'm sure many, many people have had this moment already - they think, "Wow, this situation over there really sucks, but I can casually sit here and go through my daily routine without really thinking about it because I have no direct ties." and then BAM, someone they never, ever thought would enlist, does. I guess he's looking to go into mechanical maintenance, and wouldn't be on the front lines. Thank goodness one of my best friends happened to be sitting opposite me when I got the news, reassuring me with kind words, a hug, and a promise to pray for all involved.
I'm not even really sure if I'm entitled to be this upset. Because we've been friends since before we were born (his parents were the only people in attendance at my parents' wedding - by my parents' discretion, not because they didn't have any other friends), we've grown up together, spending every other (if not every) summer at one or the other's house, camping somewhere in New England, or swapping visits for Christmas. But of course, we grew from carefree kids into awkward adolescents, to the point where we didn't know what to say around each other (I'm including myself, him and his brother in this). So for a long period of time (as awkward adolescence lasts a lot longer for some of us) we weren't in each other's lives.
Thankfully though, the last time we were together, last winter I believe, I drove them to the huge movie theater in White Plains (with a slight detour because I missed the exit I've taken 245345 times) and we saw/laughed through Gran Torino, talked about things our parents don't think we talk about, etc. It was so so SO refreshing.
I want to write to him and tell him how proud I am, but I can't bring myself to do it just yet.
Jojo left his home in Tucson, Arizona, for some California grass...get back, get back, get back to where you once belonged...
