The Night Before

Ninety-nine days down. One to go. Memory 100/100:

I remember the night before Induction Day.

My family moved from Oregon to Annapolis a few days before I-Day. My dad got a job working out of Beltsville, Maryland before I received my appointment to the academy (I make sure to tell this so people don’t think my parents followed me to Annapolis.) So the house was extremely bare.

I had a terrible feeling in my stomach—I wasn’t excited or anxious—I simply felt sick. It was that feeling you get when you think you are going to cry, but dull—and I didn’t cry.

I watched Full Metal Jacket to pump me up a bit for Plebe Summer. Remember how I didn’t yet grasp what it meant to JOIN THE NAVY?

I picked out the CD we would listen to in the car on the way to the stadium. I wanted Coldplay’s “Yellow” to be the last song I heard.

The whole evening felt much like a last rights ceremony. I was waaaaaay too sensitive.

Mike was a guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery, so he spent the night with us. I felt a special bond with him, not just because he’s my brother, but because he was a soldier. He knew what I’d face.

He was also a major contributor to me joining the military. I remember when he told my parents that he was joining the Army, he said that he wanted to make a difference for people. At that point, all I wanted to do was become a professional musician in a symphony. When he explained his motivation, I knew that I wanted the same.

The movers hadn’t brought our stuff yet, so I didn’t have a bed. Mike and I each had an air mattress in the den. I barely slept the entire night.

Tonight seems similar. Everyone is in bed now. We have so many family members in the house, my room and downstairs area was converted into a makeshift living room/play area/ sleeping room for Dan’s family. I sleep on the floor or couch—it works out well because I have been going to bed late and getting up before the rest of the family.

It has been a very formative four years. I cannot imagine what I would be like had I chosen a different path.

I just sat for a moment and tried to figure out something important to say to wrap the four years up. I can’t do it too well. I wish I could make an insightful comment. What seems to stand out to me is the importance of always moving forward, devotion to honor and self-improvement, courage, and striving for high quality living.

It has been a pleasure to write on this blog. Thank you for visiting.

Mom and Dad: you’re the best.

Go Navy.

Don’t give up the ship.