Well...here I am again.
It seems every time I get the notion to start this blog back up, something else comes along that derails the plan... But then again, it seems like no plan ever turns out exactly the way you want it to. And it's not very often that one gets the chance to go back and try again. Usually, once something comes to pass, it can never be again. This is the real world...we don't get do overs. Or do we?
So what am I talking about? Well, to know where I'm going, first you have to understand where I've been(which many of you do on some level). But for those who don't, and who have chosen not to read my previous blogs before reading this one(I strongly urge you to, it really helps develop this story)... So lets start at the beginning...or at least one of them.
I joined the Army in July of 2006...almost exactly 4 months before my daughter was born. Most people in my life at the time didn't understand my reasons for joining...come to think of it, maybe I really didn't fully understand either, but I knew it was something I had to do. Upon completing training and knowing that I had accomplished something most people don't, I felt a sense of pride that I had never felt before in my life. A pride that has never died.
Upon joining my unit in Colorado, I was placed in a rear detachment unit while the rest were deployed in Iraq. Through a series of minor injuries, I sustained one major injury that led me to a crossroads(very early in my military career). I was told that I needed back surgery, and if I didn't get it, I had to get out of the army. The latter didn't appeal to me. I said to myself, "I didn't join the Army just to get out without ever having done anything." And just like that, I opted for the surgery. Turns out, that choice I thought I had, well it was a lose/lose situation. After the surgery, I was given a recovery time of 6 months-2 years. My unit felt like the 6 months was the best time frame, so when I was not even close to healed, I was medically retired from the Army less than a year after the surgery.
There is certainly a lot more in this story...but in order to keep it as short as possible...i'm going to fast forward through my time in Pennsylvania(though it does have bearing on the story, an author is sometimes forced to cut necessary items).
In 2009, I moved with my family to Mississippi in hopes of finding a job and leave behind all of those demons that we had up north. But here's the secret, those demons are never gone...they follow you wherever you go, because...especially in my case...I was my own demon. Now I'm not going to speak for anyone else here, but I made quite a few mistakes myself to get where we ended up next.
3 months after moving to Mississippi, I was separated from my wife, a year later, living on my own, and now 2 1/2 years later... I am well set in a career that I love and slowly but surely rebuilding my life... But that leads me to the present...and a unique opportunity.
I have failed at many things in my life. I have left many things unfinished. But the one thing that has always haunted me, is the way I left the army. It always left a bad taste in my mouth, later finding out that it didn't have to end that way, had I only been better informed. So then imagine my surprise when, I received a phone call from my Retirement case manager who told me, my retirement was coming to an end and I would have to report for a med review. This med review will have one of two outcomes. Permanent retirement(which I know some would prefer for me) or I will be found fit for duty, and given the option to re-enlist. Now, no matter what the outcome, I will always consider myself a soldier. I am a patriot. No matter how bad things get, I will always love my country, and fight for it. That being said, I have begun doing my best at getting my body back in shape. My back, is far better than it was when I was released from duty. And I have a drive now, that I never had before. I see the chance to right the ship. To revive my military career and become the soldier I always wanted to be. Like I said, the first time through... I may not have truly known why I joined...but now, I have no question. Aside from my daughter... being a soldier is the single greatest thing I've ever done with my life. It is where I belong. And now... I see a dim light at the end of a 5 year tunnel that could... be my second chance.
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