Tissue In One Hand and A Bracelet on the Other

For the first time in my life it is a normal occurrence to see a man or woman in uniform walk down the street. In my hometown the closest one would get to a military connection would be the story on the five o’clock news. At Drexel University every Wednesday all members of the ROTC program will go to class in full uniform. Making their presence know on campus. But still this does not really impact my life per say or have deeper meaning sine we are at war.

This September, other than coming to Drexel, my best friend finally matured in her relationships. Since diapers we have be running around together trying to make our “dent” in the world. My dear friend Sara was never lucky in the men department though. Although she kept a boyfriend for almost two and a half years it was a very, interesting one. I think we all realized her boyfriends “unique” personality when he punch her father in the face during her graduation party for no good reason. After a few months are figuring out her life in walks the man of her dreams, shipping out to Iraq in 5 months. You know someone is family when you sit their with them after they have said goodbye to their loved ones once shipping off to Iraq and have a shoulder that will absorb their tears for hours on end and at the end, after no words are spoken, feel as if you have been talking for hours. To see someone run the gamma of emotions: from pure blissful love to painstaking distance makes you think twice on your opinion of sending a soldier with a separate set of loved ones off to war. Sara is a different person now, sporting a promise ring on one hand and in the other a tissue. Although it has already been over a month I see her crying herself to sleep, worrying about her other half overseas. Three days ago she showed me a letter stating that he plans to remain over in Iraq for an extended stay. After showing me those paper she showed me registration papers for her own enlistment. She believes that even though they will not be right next to each other in Iraq, they will be close enough. Now I will be the one with the tissue in one hand and our best friend bracelet on the other.
Since the second semester of college I have been putting a bigger attempt into learning more about what is happening around us. In college you are in your own mini-world, which is impervious to everything around it almost. Most of my news comes from FOX news. Before doing any research on the topic I considered it to be a fairly balanced network. But after reading countless articles it looks as if the norm I have been hearing is very conservative. Surprise to me!