Cheese Doodles, Grape Soda

Another pay-day, another couple weeks gone, not much to reflect upon but I guess I'll write my thoughts anyways. Oh, and another picture with Jesse James (ironically my brother's name as well.)

Set to be here until at least July, sometimes hoping I can stay longer, sometimes wishing I could just come home and get back to college and move on to bigger, better (less money, fuck) things and enjoy my 20's outside of the Middle East which is where I seem to keep finding myself. I just love being around the military, after spending four years on active duty it became the life that at times I thought I was meant for. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about my Marines and the boys that I served with, and those that I trained and helped grow up to become leaders themselves in the grunts. I just hated the bullshit, that was all, the non-necessities that the military thrives upon that drives the guys on the lower end of the stick absolutely insane. But I loved my job, every aspect of being a grunt requires pristine intelligence and action. Unfortunately in that job field, even the most minor overlooked mistake can cost a life, and that's why I think I was best suited for it because I constantly update and check myself to make sure I'm good to go at all times. It's never fun being caught with your pants down in the military, especially when you have numerous other Marines looking to you for wisdom and guidance. The pressure of always being the best, and having that drive to continue to learn and improve myself as a Marine and as an individual is what I miss. It's four years that I will never forget, even when my hair turns gray and falls out, I will still remember my time in the Marines.

The world seems to be falling apart around us, I really blame my generation somewhat for this for their lackadaisical tendencies, and overall failure to adapt to a thriving culture and country. Success is not simply measured by how far you've gone, but how far you are willing to go, and if you stop to relax for too long, someone else will have found the opportunity that you turned your back upon. All my friends and family are always hounding on me that I should just relax and take a break, but I'm not a fan of that, I've always been the early bird who gets the godamned worm and plan on keeping it that way. Risks are always worth it whether you succeed or fail, because either way it is a learning experience that you can add another brick to your personal repertoire with.

Spoke to my Uncle Jack today on the phone for a good twenty minutes, really happy to hear he is in good health and that he is still chugging alone just fine. When we were working on the Bagel Place with him and my father, it had to be some of the best times I've had since I left active duty. My family is what defines me, every nitty gritty detail about me is derived somewhere from within my family. Hopefully I will get my mother's genes, because she is an absolutely gorgeous woman at her age, it blows my mind every time I come home and my mother hasn't seemed to age a single day.

But, that's all for now. Back to the Afghanistan Vacation.

Semper Fidelis,
Rob