Future

So I have recently been looking into the military. I took the ASVAB (Armed services vocational apititude battery) last week to see what jobs i would qualify for in the Army. I infact do qualify for most of them which wasn't much of a surprise really. But basically the decision is on my mind and has been on my mind basically since high school. Should I join the military or not?

I guess in past situations it never felt like it was the right time to join. But this time for some reasons feels different. Maybe its because I don't really feel a sense of belonging or a need to be around MSU or the mid michigan area. With relationships crumbling and my happiest moments of my day being in a weight room or at work or in an anatomy class that could be why i am thinking of this now. But its so much more than that.

My dad would be thinking i was doing it because of him when in reality he plays a part but is not the deciding factor at all. He plays a part in two ways... 1 is because i know the effect it can have on a family and 2 is he is my hero and i can only try to be half the man he is. I would love to serve my country and preserve what i have been given.

Here are basically my pros and cons.......

pros
I would be able to get a ton of money for college around 80,000 dollars to be exact which would leave me debt free leaving college which is amazing to say the least to think about
I would be in the best shape of my life after doing bootcamp
My leadership roles for coaching or even young life would be increased I believe
A sense of dicipline would be added to my life.
Something to give back to the country that so freely allows people to bash and protest wars that in reality they have no clue what is really going on because the media only shows the bad side (that hits a nerve a little bit if you couldnt tell).
It looks good on resumes for later in life
Travel

Cons
The one con i have is probably like 3 combined into one and thats the main reason im writing this. every now and then espn just amazes me with articles they write. This past one is about a high school quarterback/husband/dad that goes overseas to fight in the iraqi freedom war which has been going on for 5 years now thus the article. The only problem is he didn't come back. This is the article http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=conley . This article i read tonight at work almost put me in tears. I work with two girls so i couldn't do that. But the beginning of this article is what hurts me the most. The mom telling the little girl stories of the dad she will never meet. Thats what terrifies me. I want to be there for every second i can of my childrens life i want to be there to tell them bedtime stories. i cant imagine my wife having to tell my little girl stories of me because i am gone. With my dad missing a lot of my things because of the military (my birth, 17 of 20 birthdays, graduation, openhouse, tennis states, numerous others) I want to be there for those things for my kid. What if i die overseas? I say that in the way of thinking about family. i know it will hurt some friends and all but my family is truly the ones that love me. friends come and go family doesnt.
But at the same time what my dad told me in an e-mail after i yelled at him for not being there for those things. He wrote painfully im sure and with his heart being hurt, you know son thats just how much i love you. i was willing to sacriface myself for you, so you could live in a great country and live a great life. when i took this job i knew that was part of it. i am sorry for how i have hurt you but its just something i chose."
some how those words helped and i understand. If you want to you can relate it to Jesus forgiving our sins so we can live a better life you know. but the fact is he didn't die overseas and he is still with me little catherine wasn't so lucky in that article. What if my lil drew or catherine wasn't so lucky either. is that a risk i am willing to take?

So thats the decision that has to be made. is now the right time and i guess when eventually it happens or doesn't happen i will know now is the time.

Please all of you read that article its fantastic, my prayers go out to you lil catherine and nicole keep telling her about him hes a hero