My Nephew is filling out the paperwork to join the Army. I am disturbed by that. The military has become the poor mans only option for a career. There are no manufacturing jobs, no long term craftsman trades, no choices but college, dead end retail and military. And no body listens to me. I have stopped offering advice because even though years have shown that I was correct nobody listens anyway. Of course you could point out that I was not the pillar of good judgment my whole life, nor did I take my own advice but in my defense I had given up on anything resembling a normal life and had resigned myself to waiting to die and all the bad behavior that accompanies that decision. My Nephew views this as a good career choice whilst I would pray (if I believed in such a thing) that he doesn't find himself missing a limb or just plain dead after a trip to whatever new country our government shakes a stick at.

I can't really remember when I was his age, I was in college then and so much of that is a blur of rehearsals, disappointing casting decisions and overwhelming class load. I do remember after I graduated, visiting a recruiter (Navy) with a friend (acquaintance) that I thought wasn't smart enough to ask the right questions or get things in writing. The recruiter set his sights on me and worked very hard to get me to sign on the bottom line. Right now they are dangling 40K at my Nephew. That kind of money is beyond his ken. Like a lot of kids who grow up lower middle or lower class that seems like so much money but they are selling themselves short. Kids are dying over amounts a banker wouldn't even get out of bed for. Mittens sons probably make that amount per year from their trusts. None of Mittens kids will ever sell their soul for a few shiny baubles.

I'm sad because he doesn't know his own worth and never will. I can only hope he survives and matures and maybe even goes back to college on his GI Bill (BTW, such a huge scam, Did you know that the GI's kick in for a matching fund but if they don't go to college the government keeps their money? AND you only have 10 years from separation to use it or you lose it. No waiting till the kids are gone and then heading off to college. Less than 50% of GI's participating in the program actually attend college.)

I was planning on writing about a lighter topic, laughing at work, good things to come but then I read about my Nephew and poof, there goes my mood.

When the rich wage war it's the poor who die. Jean-Paul Sartre

Just as an aside, Sartre wrote an agonizing one act play called No Exit which supposed that hell was being trapped in a room with people whom you despise. I did the play right out of college and I think hell is performing Sartre with people who can not remember their lines. Just saying.

I wish you Peace

~alison~

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