Family, friends, and summer

I was reading through everyone else’s posts from the last week or so and something occurred to me.

The summer for all of my friends is coming to an end because of school and band camp and other such doings. But when does my summer end? When do I go somewhere instead of sitting on my ass doing nothing but working out, studying, and such?

Well, I believe I know the answer to my own question.

Where the rest of my friends and my immediate family here shortly all have summers that kind of revolve around school, mine doesn't do that anymore. My summer doesn't end until the first day of autumn and there's nothing I can do about that. Not now anyway. Even if I went back to school because I got picked up for Seaman-to-Admiral or decided to get my degree on my own, my summer no longer ends when something else starts back up. I will have to earn my paycheck pretty much 365 days a year. Like just about everyone else in this great country of ours.

Am I complaining? No. I made this decision and I understood this would happen. It's just all kind of hitting me all of a sudden. Which happens a lot for me.

Which brings up another point. It hit me this last week that the military in general, not just the Navy, is probably the most inefficient organizations that mankind has ever had the unfortunate task of trying to operate. Why do I say this? Because stuff happens that shouldn't happen. Like your fingerprint card expiring. I mean seriously? Expiring fingerprints?

However, despite the fact that I have joined this woefully inefficient organization, I would like to point out that my friends have not abandoned me. Not even close. They support me no matter what, and I love them all the more for that.

Speaking of, the question was posed earlier asking what family meant to us.

Family to me are the people who never judge you, even when you TOTALLY screw up. They're the people who love you no matter what you do, who are there to support you no matter what direction your life might take. And are the people who kick you in the ass when a swift kick is required but not desirable.

I say that to say this, I love the people who post on this page. Even Jenissa, who I have met but haven't really gotten to know. She is the girlfriend of a friend, and really good friends with my best friend. I don't NEED to know anything more than that. She is a member of this family and because of that I love her just like everyone else.

The thing I love most about these people, is that I'm never so angry that I drive them away, I never do something so utterly stupid that I cause them to wonder what they were thinking in talking to me a few years ago. And best of all, I could never say anything to them that couldn't be forgiven. Yeah I might have to beg and plead for forgiveness, but it's still there.

That is what family means to me. My friends, my mom, and those of my extended family that take a true interest in my life, are the people I couldn't keep going without. And I love them all.

Now that I've been about as sappy as I can stand, I shall end this. Good night everyone.

"Be yourself, those who matter don't mind and those who mind don't matter." - Unknown

Jacob "Soprano" D'Amico
Future Sailor, United States Navy