JT
My oldest, and one of my closest, friend has joined the Marines. She goes to basic June 4. She's the one whose parents wouldn't let her go to any college other than the local community college and wouldn't sign her financial aid form despite the fact that she would've been more successful at it than anyone else I know.
She's the one who didn't let that stop her. She went to classes, got training in photography, turned out to be very talented, got a job at the local photo studio, got paid to do some independent photography, and also goes to/works at her church and works with her mom. She paid rent at her home, paid her own bills, bought her own stuff, took care of the cost and care of her own dog, and acted more mature than her own father (in my opinion).
She didn't feel like she was doing anything with her life and wanted a challenge. So, having once been our battalion commander and color guard commander in JROTC, she decided she wanted to join the Marines, the few and the proud. If you ask her, "what if you get sent to Iraq?" she says, "all the better."
She went to the recruiting office a few months ago, and they told her she'd have to lose about 20-30 pounds to meet the requirements. Now most people would say, "fuck that" and forget it, but not JT. They gave her a training schedule and a diet to follow and she went home and started that very day. She didn't cheat it, and upped it before the schedule even told her to when she decided it was too easy. She ran it even when she visited a friend living in much higher altitudes, with weights around her ankles no less to get used to heavy combat boots. She lost most of the weight in almost no time, faster than most people do.
Her recruiter was suprised at all her hard work, and now she's signed up. Because she lost the weight so fast they're going to send her to basic in just a few weeks, when they hadn't expected to do it until sometime around August.
Her father's pissed, her mom's upset, I don't know whether her sister cares too much, and my family's sad. We have no idea what will happen to her, and honestly, I'm afraid for her. But I'm also proud, very proud. She's tough and determined and I admire her. She's doing something with herself, taking charge of her life, and she's growing up a lot faster than I am. I always knew she'd go somewhere, she's already so much more than most people.
What was that line from Shawshank Redemption? Something about some birds are too bright and beautiful to be caged? Well, that's JT.
I'm going to miss her.
She's the one who didn't let that stop her. She went to classes, got training in photography, turned out to be very talented, got a job at the local photo studio, got paid to do some independent photography, and also goes to/works at her church and works with her mom. She paid rent at her home, paid her own bills, bought her own stuff, took care of the cost and care of her own dog, and acted more mature than her own father (in my opinion).
She didn't feel like she was doing anything with her life and wanted a challenge. So, having once been our battalion commander and color guard commander in JROTC, she decided she wanted to join the Marines, the few and the proud. If you ask her, "what if you get sent to Iraq?" she says, "all the better."
She went to the recruiting office a few months ago, and they told her she'd have to lose about 20-30 pounds to meet the requirements. Now most people would say, "fuck that" and forget it, but not JT. They gave her a training schedule and a diet to follow and she went home and started that very day. She didn't cheat it, and upped it before the schedule even told her to when she decided it was too easy. She ran it even when she visited a friend living in much higher altitudes, with weights around her ankles no less to get used to heavy combat boots. She lost most of the weight in almost no time, faster than most people do.
Her recruiter was suprised at all her hard work, and now she's signed up. Because she lost the weight so fast they're going to send her to basic in just a few weeks, when they hadn't expected to do it until sometime around August.
Her father's pissed, her mom's upset, I don't know whether her sister cares too much, and my family's sad. We have no idea what will happen to her, and honestly, I'm afraid for her. But I'm also proud, very proud. She's tough and determined and I admire her. She's doing something with herself, taking charge of her life, and she's growing up a lot faster than I am. I always knew she'd go somewhere, she's already so much more than most people.
What was that line from Shawshank Redemption? Something about some birds are too bright and beautiful to be caged? Well, that's JT.
I'm going to miss her.