My Two Biggest Regrets, part 1
I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one that looks back and reflects upon some of the life choices I’ve made and one or several of those choices come to the forefront of regrets. At the age of 61 I can think of several bad choices but two of those decisions stand out. They are related and the Fourth Of July reminds me of them.
I was a rebel without a clue in my teens (actually I was rebelling against my father who was a work-a-holic who had no time for me). I was constantly being warned that if I didn’t straighten out I’d be sent to “military school”. Thus I formed the opinion that being in the military was a form of punishment.
I was 18 years old in the year of 1972, the year I graduated. The Vietnam War had been raging on for 20 years and was at it’s height of unpopularity. My dad did all he could politically to keep my oldest brother out of the draft (but failed) reinforcing my thoughts that the military was a bad thing.
Then there was the media hype, especially standing out was a veteran who’s name was/is John Kerry who threw his medals away and proclaimed to the nation he was ashamed of serving and that the military were baby killers. I was stupid enough to suck it all in. Thus my biggest regret is not having served my country through the armed forces.
The one thing sorely missing at the time I was 18 years old was discipline. The one thing I really needed when I was 18 was discipline. When I look back this is my biggest regret. The military would have been the perfect fit for me.
Today I live 15 miles from the Minot Air Force Base and I can say the young men and women that serve our country at the Minot Air Force Base or the finest young people I know. I am so proud of my 15 year old daughter who chose (on her own) to be involved in Jr. ROTC and to not follow in her dads footsteps of fear and ignorance when it comes to serving our country.
On this 4th of July weekend I wish to thank all veterans who have served and or serving our great country.
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