Small Calamities

Your Calamities

I Wanna Live a Life of Danger
February 18, 2006 | permalink

One of my younger brothers (younger half-brother, to be precise) was in town last night, so my calamitous siblings and I all got together for a drink or four. Always a good time. Except that this was a bit of a farewell extraganza; Punk Recruit had, well, been recruited. He signed on with the Airborne Rangers, and ships out next week to begin training at Fort Benning, Georgia. When he told us that he was coming in to see us and why, we were a bit taken aback; this was very much out of the blue.

I have mixed feelings. One one hand, I understand the desire to serve something larger than yourself. And while quite smart and industrious, Punk Recruit is drifting, and not terribly self-motivated. It is my hope that he can learn about what it is he is looking for in this life, and that his experiences in the military can help him to achieve them.

On the other hand, he's my brother and I worry. I fear that he was double talked by the recruiter and clouded by the signing bonus (did you know that the military gives signing bonuses?) My brother walked out of the recruitment center with a check for $24,000.00. That's quite a sum for a twenty-two year old kid.

But what can you do, but say congratulations and wish him luck? In this life, everyone has to be able to make thier own decisions, and see the consequences through. I have enough trouble taking care of myself; I surely don't want to be responsible for anyone else.