i'm the last person anyone would expect to enlist... a longhaired hippy, really. ok, a medium-lengthed haired hippy. i wonder what i'd even look like with short hair? or a buzz? holy cow! ... regardless. i don't know what suddenly compelled me to consider the army, but i was always strongly against it, and now suddenly, it seems like a good option for some reason. I come from a family where nobody was ever in the forces, except for my grandfather who had no choice. In a twist of my mothers words, i was raised and given opportunities so i didn't have to join the forces. i got straight a's in a good high school, and now i'm at a good university... and i hate every waking moment of it. i slack off, i'm getting bad grades for the first time in my life, and in general, i feel unmotivated and lost. i dropped out of journalism after being told i had little to no hope in the field, and i regret that more and more each day. now i'm stuck wondering if i should join the army. the only part that scares me is i can't get a straight answer on what it's going to be like. nobody seems able to tell me. sure, its going to be hard to tell my mother if i decide, but that isn't my major concern. i also don't care if i'm deployed, that doesn't scare me. i'd actually rather be thrown into battle and report that, but thats neither here nor there right now. the point is, the army seems like a more viable option the more i think about it, despite being in school. i'm currently skipping class, writing this on campus in a dunkin donuts, thinking about how much i despise class. university gives you that option... to despise class, and not go. i almost feel like i need a militant atmosphere, even though thats the opposite of what i always thought or wanted. i'm not sure how bad basic training is, etc, but i dont think itd be too much for me. i'm a small dude, but im in shape. any input here? i've been at a crossroads in my life too many times, and it seems like each time i make the wrong decision... i can't do that here.
I've had a few friends join the forces, one was a tweaker/stoner/dealer/pillhead. The only uniform you'd expect to see him in would be an orange jumpsuit. The only orders he took were for bags of glass. He joined the Navy at the start of this year and is absolutely loving it, it has changed his life around and has brought out the best in him. He went through a long period of soul searching and cleaning up his act before he joined, but prior to that decision he was most certainly a lost soul. I know you're asking about the US Army, but I felt I should post anyway. Hope this helps.
i would've enlisted like a month ago, but i got a possession charge. at the moment, i don't think they're taking anyone else until february - too many people enlisted, probably due to the economy.
why don't you just actually do some work at school, people would love to be in the position you are in.
to me it just sounds like he doesnt have any self discipline...meh maybe the army is a good idea. personally i would never do it though.
i had self-discipline all throughout highschool when the only option i thought was available was to get good grades and go to college... now i'm not so sure that's what i want... but then again i have no idea what i want.
Thought about the same thing many times, and am still thinking very hard on the decision. the only advice i can give you is finish up the semester at the university and see if you have a different mindset by the end of the semester. Do your "soul searching" during this time and figure out if the Army is right for you or not. go talk to some recruiters, read pamphlets and go online to their website if you are looking for straight information, dont rely on 3rd party sources if you are being serious. good luck
well you want to be a journalist right? im pretty sure college is a better option than the army for journalism..
look up the history of most famous journalists - they were either college dropouts or started in the forces. college is a horrible option, nowadays, for journalism, actually. the first thing they told us in class was ''today its nearly impossible to make a living in journalism, especially if you aren't internet savvy." when i was in journalism, i was going to drop out and be a war correspondent, but not via the forces... i was just going to leave america, travel into the war zone and be a correspondent (thats actually how its done). this seems like a better option, and you automatically have material to write about, while you're there, and when you get back. hunter s thompson got his start in the forces, and george orwell willingly joined the fight for the spanish civil war, just because, while he was a writer. kurt vonnegut is another that comes to mind
well man i guess you just need to weigh out the pros and cons in your mind, do you really want to be on a military base, being told what to do, being pushed to your limit at basic training, get your hair cut, no be able to smoke weed, probably be surrounded by douchebags at all times.
this. I considered joining the coast guard and the way I see it, it's 4 tough years in exchange for a lifetime of benefits. It may be unpleasant at the time but it teaches you some skills you won't learn anywhere else, and it pays off long after your enlistment ends. what attracted me to the idea is it could pay for college, get me free health insurance for a long time, pays pretty good and I get to save lives, but what's holding me back now is I just don't trust our government, I don't want to get involved in the war on drugs, specifically marijuana, and I am definitely not prepared to die for my country. and I do not agree with their close-minded policies. what the fuck does it matter if you have long hair or like to smoke weed?
The "forces" are a pretty easy job but with the job comes a bit more dangers. I'm sure you know and have already known and aren't worried. Life isn't worth living if you don't take risks, keep worrying whether your family will accept it and you may be missing out on what makes you happy.
The way I see it, the Armed Forces is the best route to go. You are guaranteed a job, a pay check, health insurance, and training. Which is why I'm going in too
I say pursue your dream. If that was journalism then do it, don't let anyone, Anyone tell you any different, if thats what you wanna do then fucking tackle that shit and conquer that mother fucker. Interesting enough i reccomend reading this book that i am currently reading, its about motivation but only bad side is that this guy is pretty religious and it can be heavy at times in the reading, sometimes i feel like they're trying to shove religion down my throat but other than that its pretty good. Its called Step Out On Nothing by Byron Pitts, this guy did it, interesting enough in the same field, journalism. Read it if you want, its pretty goood motivation story and im not much for that shit but this shit is good.
thats half the problem, i don't know whats right i've been very indecisive my whole life cool, i'll check it out, i read a lot. i'm currently reading ''the psychology of persuasion,'' which is a really great read about, well, the title pretty much explains it. it helps with my job (salesman at music store) as well as my writing, seeing as half my portfolio is persuasive essays, most on marijuana