Monday, December 14, 2009

Have you ever....

I was focused full on what I thought was a positive, singular goal for my family and I. In one brief phone call it came to a stop, and fast. I would love to put the blame anywhere but here, but I cannot. I have made no apologies for my life, nor excuses for my life. Over the past 18 years I have been adding tattoos to my body as I felt the need. No regrets until today. For the past few months unbeknown to most, other than my wife, I have been working with a recruiter for the US Army. All my life I have had an excuse for one reason or another to not fulfill my "dream" of service. Most were superficial at worst, genuine at best, but excuses none the less. Today as I was told I am not eligible for service due to my tattoos, I felt crushed. Failure first reached is a bitter pill to swallow. I post here only because my family, other than my wife, will not understand and my "friends" are mostly co-workers. Thank you to all who serve, I wish I could have called you brother. Maybe in another time, in another way.

Jason
III

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

WTF do tattoos have to do with an individual's ability to fight and operate weaponry etc,?

For the first time in my life I'm ashamed of my country and losing trust and confidence even in our military leadership.

Paladin

Jay21 said...

I somewhat understand their position, with imbed press and "image is everything" mentality today. What pissed me off was that I offered a "what if" removal question and haven't gotten an answer yet. One day uniforms may not matter, but my ideas of service to my country and family will not. Have heard all of my life "the Lord works in mysterious ways" but I cannot wrap my head around this one yet. Trying to learn faith and holding on to it.

Jason

straightarrow said...

Well, then I suppose all those Marines with the globe and anchor tatoo who fought their asses off to protect this nation should demand that those years be given back to them. In absence of governmental ability to do that how about a stimulus plan, oh, say a billion dollars each for surviving Marines from our wars and only 100 million for our departed Marines children and widows? Why not? Their service obviously was not sanctioned, or at least wouldn't be today. So pay them for what they did on their own as private citizens.

Jay21 said...

Well stated SA, the firdt thing that made me smile over all of this.