I miss the military. Never thought I�d say that but I do. Maybe it�s just that I feel like I left one life and accidentally slipped into this chasm that is the life I�m living now. I feel like I left �me� in Florida. Maybe it was that I was in the Navy for so long that it became part of me. Five years is a long time.
I had so many experiences that were rich and unique. Experiences that none of my St. Louis friends had. I went places my family never went, and the military was something they�d never understand.
I went through some hell in that 5 years, and when I look back I understand how I morphed from a sweet soft-spoken soul to a loud, hell raising, assertive woman. It was out of necessity. It equipped me with the essentials for living civilian life. No man or woman was going to walk on me.
The sweet spoken Missy joined the Navy out of sheer boredom. She was 20 years old, dying inside. College was not challenging, and she couldn�t find a job that suited her for longer than a year. Missy was also very over that tired thing where she had to make up for every misstep ever committed since the age of 15.
One day, Missy skipped her college classes and stayed home. Oh, bad juju! But she didn�t care anymore. The phone rang in the middle of Montel Williams and she answered. A deep voice boomed from within the phone: �Hi my name is Petty Officer Such-and Such from Navy Recruiting District St. Louis��she�d received these calls before. Before they finished their first sentence she�d interrupt, �I had asthma as a child� and they�d always say sorry and hang up.
But not this guy. I told him I�d grown out of the asthma symptoms at 15, and he said that was good enough. In no time I was undergoing hearing tests, the ASVAB, and physicals.
The very next day, I went down and signed papers.
A few days later, I was at NAVRESCEN at downtown with a bunch of other greenies. We had lunch at Amighetti�s. Everyone was really excited. One thing I learned right then is that the Navy has some scary ass women. Too much testosterone in that room.
I was sworn in. As I stood there reciting the pledge of allegiance, and then this �I solemnly swear to uphold the laws of the constitution of the United States of America. I will protect and defend��
It was the first moment of peace in my life that I could ever remember. I was doing something bigger than me. This was a decision that I made, for my future and well being, that was not selfish and that no one could take away from me. It was a conscious decision to serve my country and change the path I was taking in my life.
The delayed entry program gave me a lot of time to change my mind. It was, after all, a period of about six months. My biological mom�s family was not behind it at all. Only Grandma, who had always told me I could do anything that I wanted to do with my life.
I decided I was going to travel and have fun.
I went to bars, nightclubs and I stayed out a lot. College dropped off my radar of importance anyway so I wasn�t worried about studies. I should�ve cared, but I didn�t. I drank like a fish and partied hard.
That got boring too, after a month. So, I moved to New Orleans with my friend Elisa, oh, she of large breasts and bodacious bod. We lived with two gay guys, and we all slept together on a Queen Size (tee hee) bed.
I love Louisiana period. I�ve told people that the deeper south you go, the more you feel like you�ve entered another country, or another realm. The time I lived there was the happiest time in my life.
I eventually started thinking about my return to St. Louis. I knew I had to go back because the delayed entry period was almost over, and then it would be time for boot camp.
My friends Fred, Tom, Patrick, Cameron and Jeff came down to visit me. I took them to every gay bar on Bourbon street..we had a blast.
The Sunday the left to go back to StL, Elisa and me decided to have one last weekend in the city. We packed up our clothes and stuff�and left Metairie one last time together. I must mention that I had Hurricane�s and Hand Grenades that night. I remember walking down Bourbon, drunk as a skunk. What do I look over and see but a sad boy toy?
I said, �Pardon, darling but what is the matter?�
He looked up and I saw a sky-blue gaze on a miniature Atlas. He wiped a tear from his eye. I said, �How sad your life is when you are sitting outside of Big Daddy�s, a booby bar, and you are crying.�
�My girlfriend dumped me..� he mumbled, looking up at me. I wiped those tears with a napkin that had been wrapped around my hurricane.
I said, �Well, don�t you despair. We will find you a new woman in no time!� And I grabbed his hand and yanked him off that filthy stoop. I underestimated the effect of the alcohol and the force of the yank propelled me right onto my butt in the middle of the cobblestone street.
�What�s your name?� He asked as he helped me up. I teetered a bit when I was standing. I steadied myself by holding onto his bicep. Hmm. Without looking at him I said, �My name�s Missy.� �Rob,� he offered.
�Well Rob, let�s go have a good time,� and off we went to the Cat�s Meow to go dancing. I didn�t dare take him to the Bourbon Pub because all of my gay guy friends would be on him. I always said the boys could practically smell sorrow.
The thought that this handsome stranger could be a bad guy never entered my drunken mind.
We wandered around the entire quarter all night long. I found out he was from a very prominent family in Connecticut. (And you were dating a stripper? I thought, but I didn�t� ask). Eventually, we caught up with Elisa and Fred, who stayed behind. StL didn�t sound so fun to him right now, he told me. I introduced Rob to Fred and Elisa. Elisa decided to go home because it was getting late, and a storm was coming in. I took my money out of my little Chanel purse and asked her to take it with her. It was getting cumbersome. I�d get it in the morning.
Only, I didn�t look at the money. It just got shoved into my pocket. I thought I grabbed $60.00, but I had actually grabbed 7 dollars in ones. Bad juju.
Rob and I ended up sleeping in his old girlfriend�s hallway. On the dirty floor. Because cab money and my house key was in the purse. That I gave to Elisa.
I was squished like a sardine between Rob and Fred. It was not romantic.
When we woke up, we went to a bar. Can you believe it? At ten am. I had two hurricanes and found out right there that I had no more money.
I called my friend Steve and he nicely went out to grab my luggage and purse from Elisa at the old apartment. Rob and I had drunkenly decided we were going to Elope to Miami.
You read it right..I was getting ready to marry a perfect stranger�money was no object. He had his father�s credit card and had the rights to use it for whatever. So, we chose the adventurous route, and took a greyhound.
12:56 p.m. - Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2003
Recent entries:
What you missed - January 16, 2012
%%older_entries%%From hell - October 19, 2010
%%older_entries%%a rant from a few weeks ago - August 17, 2010
%%older_entries%%Tired - June 20, 2010
%%older_entries%%A beautiful lie - March 11, 2010
%%older_entries%%
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