2 Years (Published Version)
Today about this time two years ago I was a kid. Small town boy from a
town with no stop lights….nobody in particular. I was clay left
un-molded, with an inside hardened around morals and values of the small
town life. Love your momma, mind your daddy every day was another day.
But that was two years ago. 24 months, 66 weeks, 730 days, 17250 hours,
1,035,000 seconds and as I type that clock furiously ticks of that
distinct rhythm of time.
I walked down those concrete steps as if it was the end of the
world.
Tears streaming down my baby face, just a kid staring with deep blue
eyes into the black the world. I remember almost every second of that
journey. White lines danced of the road as the misery of everyday took
me farther from home. Nine weeks of basic equal nine weeks of majestic
hell and I was a soldier. I was no longer a baby face kid, yet not
nearly a world worthy man. Every day now for the last 730 days I’ve
donned the uniform of my nation. Glorious Stars and Stripes on my right
shoulder lead me into battle. I will bleed for that flag so that the
colors it withholds will never run. Called on to fight for freedom and
it’s a call I won’t drop.
A lot of things have changed over the last two years that make
me who I am today. Who knows how I’m still alive or how I’m in one piece
after the hell I’ve thrust myself into, most with a smile on my face.
Almost 100,000 miles worth of driving, over 50 hours high in the sky,
I’ve called 3 states(Arizona, South Carolina, Tennessee), 2
countries(North America, Afghanistan), and 2 continents (North America
Middle East) home. Spent close to 100,000 George Washington’s with
nothing but a slippery fast car and some faded kicks to show for it.
Loved deeply and lost love. I’ve seen things and been places Satan
himself wouldn’t dare to dance, and now still finding it hard to believe
I’m a man. I’m on the unbeaten path, and with perseverance still beating
the hell out of it.
Theirs a lot of reasons you may question the character of a man,
and my biggest goal is to never have mine questioned. Throughout the
miles I’ve trampled, and the bridges I’ve set ablaze I’ve learnt to be
who I am. I’m that dreadfully small town kid, still a kid inside but a
man when need be. I would never turn back on the last two years, but
once in awhile it’s not uncommon to catch a tear in my eye as I drift to
the past.
Nothing like being in high school. Being a god just because you were
good at a sport. Summertime ripping through the water on nothing but a
plastic inner tube. Only worry in life is how the ladies would feel
about me falling off. I miss that life and those friends daily so much
that it hurts sometimes. Looking back if I could talk to my 16 year old
dumbass self, picking rocks out of the yard in the rain cause I couldn’t
keep my mouth shut, I would change a lot of how I lived life. I broke
hearts, broke rules, broke bones. Experienced a jail cell, experienced
Jesus, and truly believed I had it figured out. Really I took every
sweet second of it for granted. But look where I’m at today. Raising one
finger on both hands for all the people that doubted me then to lay
their gaze upon now. Most respectfully of course.
As I sit on this bunk typing this for whomever to see, springs
poking every piece of me, waiting for the next explosion, I’m torn with
emotions. I feel I have lived the best moments of my life, but yet the
best is still to come. Mom, Dad, Sister, Izzy, Lynn, Alex,
Cooper……..to you all all I can say is thanks. I wouldn’t be who I am
now without you all. I love you all; some blood some not your all
family. I would lay down my life for any one of you to have another day
of happiness.
730 down, and I am me. 113 left till I touch back down on
American soil. I’ve made promises to myself to really live life from now
on and anyone reading this I challenge you to hold yourself to the same.
If you take it for granted you will dearly miss it. Sometime you will
look back and feel even though you were there you missed out. Never let
love go stale, never let loved ones drift aimlessly away. Keep what’s
real to you real, and be you to standard that only you can be.
I am a testament that this world can’t hold a small town boy down. Two
years later and they still can’t rip this fight dad instilled in my
stomach. Guts and don’t give a damn attitude built on Chaplin.
Compassion and love built on Mace. You can scower this entire world and
never come across anyone else like me. So here’s to the last two
years…..I raise my orange-strawberry Gatorade and drink to them. Can’t
wait for the next set…..
