When I Was Young
When I was a kid I looked up to and had a great deal of respect for those who had and those who were serving in the Military. I used to imagine that at some point it would be my turn to serve. Perhaps it was this line that put that idea in my head:
“Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high…”- Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae
This was something I wanted when I was a kid. I also wanted to be in shape; something I didn’t really see as feasible, which hindered my dream of joining the Military.
When I Stopped Doubting
Back in June of last year I was putting serious effort into getting into shape. I had weighed in at 267 lbs at my heaviest and I knew something had to be done about it. As I started to watch what I ate and exercised semi-regularly I noticed how much weight I was actually losing and how much more energy and strength I had gained. It was around this time I started to consider what it really was I wanted to do with my life. I had a checklist in my head of things I knew I enjoyed, things I wanted in a career and things I felt I excelled at. That list looked something like this:
- Adventure
- Excitement
- Daily Challenges
- Leadership
- Learning Experiences
- Opportunities for advancement
- Chance to Help Others
- Physical Fitness
- Order
- Consistency
This list may seem familiar. I think that a lot of people share a list like this when it comes to what they wish to do for a living. The only problem is that a lot of people settle for a career that doesn’t really deliver on every aspect. I ‘d started looking at the Army as a serious opportunity again, now that I knew that I could, in fact, achieve the fitness level required.
It Got Serious
By the beginning of July I had received the recruitment package required to enlist. I had all of the booklets explaining the jobs of an Infantry Officer, Armour Officer and Artillery Officer (since I will be graduating from University at the end of April I will be able to enter the army as an Officer). It was recommended by a contact at the recruitment office that, since I’m in my last year, I wait until December or January to apply since I could apply while I was still in my undergrad and it would take a few months before they even look at the paperwork.
That’s where this part of the story ends. The paperwork sat on that shelf for a few months. Before we get to that part of the story there’s some stuff in-between I’d like to cover.