For one thing, my mental, emotional, and spiritual states would be vastly different right now without it, after the past year.
Adaptability takes on a whole new meaning when you have a new life every two years. But thank goodness, my toughest challenge came after a lifetime of practice.
There are many different aspects of war. I used to imagine Marines being only the guys that ducked from behind walls in the desert and shot at the enemy. But though my dad went to Iraq, he never killed a man. He works in logistics. He makes plans. Strategizes. That's helped him be a heck of a laser tag partner, for one thing.
Even if you don't agree with a higher power, you have to respect their authority.
When people say they'll keep in touch, not everyone means it. But some do.
Things mean more when you've earned them. Giving is a wonderful and necessary part of society, but it teaches nothing, and fosters no growth. Give a man a fishing pole, not a fish.
No matter who they are, your family knows you better than your friends. Always.
If you've made your way to the top, don't brag about it. If I wanted to, I could have flaunted the fact that my dad was the Base Commander of Camp Kinser (the military equivalent of a mayor), but he didn't, so I didn't.
You can't always tell the people that are going to stick around.
The center of the world isn't where you live. It doesn't matter how long you've been somewhere and how well you know it: it's nothing like the rest of the world.
You appreciate something in a very different way when you have to do without it for a year at a time.
The same applies to people. Like your father.
The term "home" is relative. Whenever I feel like I don't belong somewhere, I remind myself that none of us will never truly be home until we're with God.
Most Marines aren't stone-faced gorillas who tower over everyone in their camo, clutching guns and barking at everyone.
They're just a lot of dads with crew cuts who know how to get places on time.
And of course, I have some invaluable skills including, but not limited to:
-Fitting ten days worth of clothing and toiletries into a backpack
-Understanding entire sentences of solely acronyms
-Packing a suitcase for two months in approximately 10-20 minutes
-Being able to recite an airplane safety video word-for-word
-Airplane sickness immunity
-Owning everyone in class during annual "What I Did This Summer" sharing time
-Navigation of the Bangkok International Airport with the speed and efficiency of Jason Bourne
-The knowledge that most of my amenities in life have been government-issued
-The ability to turn "goodbye" into "see you later"
And though the life of camouflage and painfully-tight sock buns isn't for me, I look ahead with somber acceptance to the day I will exchange my military ID card for the title of "civilian."
Word.
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