What if....?

I wanted to join the military. I'm not really sure why, because I couldn't stand people telling me what I could and couldn't do. Initially, when I took the ASVAB, I was only doing it to get out of school for the rest of the day. Then, I scored so high that I had recruiters practically harassing me, trying to talk me into joining.

The Army guy was cool, he got me out of school for another day to take me to a satellite office to talk. The National Guard guy tried desperately to get me to sign up on the spot (I graduated at 17, so he'd still need my parent's signature, even if he had mine). Then there was the Navy guy. My mom and sister just LOVED the recruiter from the Navy that showed up at our house. Even I have to admit, he was very nice-looking, but damn, this was my life I was thinking of signing away.

I wasn't going to put it on my mom's head to have to sign for me, so I decided to wait until I turned 18. Also, while I was leaning heavily toward the Army, I still wasn't sure yet what branch I wanted to join. Then I started dating my husband the spring before graduation and kind of lost interest in joining the military. It's not that I wish hadn't married my husband, but I have many days where I really wish I would have joined.

Things would be much different for me now if I had. What I needed at that time was for someone to try to tell me I couldn't sign up. I was so rebellious that I'd probably be waiting at the door when they opened the next morning.

 

Well judging by the other thread you started, I would say you made a poor choice.

 

Four words:

Some Guy, Male Prostitute

 

Professional driver on a closed course.

 

Nice one.

 

This speaks to me.
Military does make you responsible and disciplined when you are young.

In retrospect, I wish I would have pursued that for a while, too.

Plus, you get to play with guns.

 

I majored in journalism and I'm glad I did but with hindsight I think I would have gone on to medical school.

I took the MCAT and applied to a couple of med schools and was pleasantly surprised to receive acceptance letters. I couldn't afford the tuition but now, looking back, I should have made a go of it. I never wanted to be a fancy surgeon, just a general practitioner or a simple country doctor.

More and more I have found myself seriously considering it again despite approaching 40.

 

Your gun is in your pants, private! The Army issued you a rifle! Now drop and give me 20 pushups!

 

a butler at the Playboy mansion.

 

Left the j-biz two years earlier than I did.
Didn't do it because I was scared and thought this was all I could do. Didn't believe my skills translated. I let people pigeon-hole me and I sat there and took it and didn't challenge myself.
I found something in 2 months. Grass wasn't much greener, but it has opened up a lot of doors since then.

 

You chose ... poorly

 

I considered that until I realized how frustrated I get when I have to explain something to people more than once. I just don't have the patience for that.