Day 48: Declaring Martial Law On Yourself
by Edward Smith
22 Aug 2020
When You're in a Rut, Time for Ten-Hut!
If you read my last article entitled 🤠How To Earn a College Degree In Personal Pain, you would have learned that I got kicked out of college after high school, and that I had to go to work. It wasn't fun, and I always regretted it after it happened. This is what happened.
Moving Out of My Parents House
The day after my parents found out I was kicked out of college, things changed.
Before this point my job was to be a full time college student. My parents didn't want me to get distracted, so I wasn't allowed to get a normal job with a paycheck. I was supposed to go to school and bring back good grades. That was it. Sweet deal right?
You bet it was, but I was the wrong person for the job. I wasn't responsible, and this arrangement doesn't teach responsibility. This job should have gone to a different person that wanted it, and was willing to work for it. I wasn't that guy.
When I failed to perform, the family suddenly realized I was unemployed and I wasn't going to be leaving the house anytime soon. I didn't have a plan. I didn't have anywhere to go. I was just taking up space, rent free. I had become a parasite.
When my parents saw this, it began to irk them to no end. They had this idea in their head that I would attend four years of college, and then the degree would provide me with an exit key. I would then take that key and use it to move out on my own. The invested dollars would pay for themselves. I would be independent, and they would be proud.
When the college thing fell apart and the plan didn't look very attainable, a new conversation started. It was unpleasant, but it would end up being an important one.
From Getting the College Boot to Boot Camp
After I was sent home from college, my mom began to worry about me. She would keep popping up at weird times throughout the day. She's from Finland, so she can be quite stubborn.
I couldn't go out with my friends without a confrontation from my mom. She would ask me how I could go out when I didn't have a job. She wanted to know how my job search was going.
She wanted to know when I was going to go back to school, and she would press me for dates and deadlines. I couldn't avoid her. I tried, but she would keep popping up. If that failed she would call me and ask about it over the phone. It got really annoying.
One day out of anger I became exasperated with the whole situation. I demanded to know what she wanted out of me. She didn't back down. She told me she wanted me to get a job, and that I needed to move out as soon as possible. No more safety net. Cord was cut.
I asked her how I was supposed to do that. She told me to figure it out and that I better come up with something quickly. I was out of time. She suggested that I if I didn't have a plan, then maybe joining the military might be a good idea.
I got mad. I decided to show her. I told her I would go to the recruiter that very week and sign up. She agreed it was good plan. That's how it happened. It wasn't planned. I tried to bluff and she called my bluff.
I went to the local recruiter and began discussing my options. I didn't have a back up plan, and my house wasn't going to remain open to me, so I signed up. Craziest thing I had ever done up to that point. It was a desperate act. I had too much to lose if I didn't, so I manned up and gave it a shot.
Military Life Was My Second Chance
I didn't have any idea what military life was like when I signed the dotted line. I hadn't trained for any of it. I didn't know about the requirements, and I hadn't worked out to become fit. I was a free loader sitting on a military bus heading to boot camp. I had no idea what was going to happen, but I couldn't back out.
Once you sign, it becomes legally binding. It's a big boy decision. Once you sign that's it. Now you have to make it happen. People come looking for you if you don't show up. I was beyond scared. This was serious. What had I done? Where was I going? What would happen to me?
The Military Was a Lucky Break
Turns out. I got lucky. The military thing worked out really great for me. I don't recommend it for everyone, because it's not just a job. It's a complete and total life style change. You're military when you wake up, and you remain military every day while you're in the service. It can drive some people crazy. It didn't make me crazy though. I got used to it, and after a while I found out it suited me really well.
In some ways the military can actually be easier, then normal life. People tell you where to work, what to work on, where to exercise, and where to live. Everything is taken care of. It's a good deal.
There is only one major down side, but it's not a bad one. In the military you have to earn what you keep. Nothing comes for free without a price. Know the price, pay it, and the trade is worth it.
Want to Know What I Traded and What I got back?
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