Friday, March 23, 2012

20 Years...Seriously?

Today, 23 March 2012, I mark the 20th anniversary of my first day at basic training.
I was 20 years old.   Now I'm 40.  What the hell?!  haaaaaaaaa
I wasn't really sure what I'd gotten myself into at the time, but the big bay full of beds and lockers and scary instructors yelling eventually gave way to a life of order.  
Well, there's some kind of order to it, I guess.  
In 20 years I've lived in Texas, Indiana, Ohio, Washington, Alabama, Italy, Qatar, DC, and Virginia.  
I've met some of the most amazing people and I've met some dumbass people.
I've been frustrated to the point of crying and been overjoyed and elated to tears.
I can't believe my entire adult life I've been wearing combat boots to work.  
Okay, sometimes I had to wear really ugly black shoes, but you know what I mean.  
I really never imagined this day would come to pass.   
It seems kind of like any other since I'm getting up, drinking coffee, and heading off to give my best to the blue and to my country in the little bit of email cubicle world I inhabit.  Sometimes I forget that I'm a part of something a little bit bigger than just me and the folks around me and our computers and our email and our bureaucracy.  
Now, I'm excited to see what's next.
And, no, I'm not talking about retirement.  At least not quite yet.  
I still like being in charge of stuff.  haaaaaaaaaaaaaa
These pics were taken in a photo booth at the little mini-mall on Lackland Air Force Base in 1992.  It was probably a Sunday afternoon on one of the few days we had some liberty.  
I'm sorry to report that I no longer have those glasses in my spectacle inventory.

5 comments:

  1. Glad your still having fun after 20 years... I've been a full time artists now for 24.... Still miss the real pay cheques!

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  2. Jen, thank you so very much for your service to our country! It's the women and men like you to whom we owe a great debt of gratitude. A good friend of ours just recently reached the same milestone, and has just retired himself. He spent half of that time on active duty, and half in the reserves. Within the past six years, he was called active to serve in the Middle East four times. He sacrificed so much...as, I'm sure, you have. Thank you.

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  3. Great post...honestly, I just love those photos! My husband is away at sea right now, what a life!

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  4. Congratulations that is quite an accomplishment. Glad to hear you still have more to accomplish.

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  5. Congratulations Jen! You know we are all so proud of you! You haven't changed much in 20 years I have to say, that 3rd pic down I see a very familiar expression of yours still to this day! And hey, wearing and lifting combat boots all day long has got to be good for the legs and butt right? Just sayin....

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Bedford, PA, United States
I'm a retiree/artist/student who makes things. It's a nice kind of lifestyle!

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