The Discussion

I suppose it was lucky for him that we had decided to come up and visit. He needed a way to get back from Fargo.

Leaving her standing outside her dorm when we had to go was incredibly hard for all of us - especially her and especially him. We left her standing there - tears streaming down her face. I can only imagine the thoughts that must have been going through her head at that moment. I'm sure at that moment in time she thought that she would never see him again.

We had time to talk on our way home. We discussed "the future". We talked the hard talk. The "what if" talk.

He didn't have any ideas or any wishes of how to handle things if he didn't return. He said at that point he wouldn't care or know - whatever we wanted was fine with him.

He had taken out an extra life insurance policy before he had come home on leave and with that he had a specific request. "You know if I'm killed over there you guys will be getting a lot of money."

"We don't want it."

"Well, I'm just saying. And there is one thing I want."

"What's that?"

"If I don't make it I want you to help her finish college. I guess that's my only wish. That's the only thing I want."

Proposal

Our son who is posted in Washington state with the Army made a trip home on a four day leave to "tie up some loose ends". He called us before he left and told us that he intended to ask his girlfriend to marry him.

I guess his mother raised him properly because he told me that he was about to call his girl's father to ask for her hand in marriage. I was quick to add the comment that he shouldn't ask for her hand in marriage - that's pretty old school. I said tell him that you intend to ask his daughter to marry you and that you want to ask for his blessing. More likely to go your way I said.

He flew into Minneapolis - we live in Minnesota - and had his girl pick him up at the airport. She attends a state college in the north west part of the state.

He told us he propsed to her under the stars on the shore of Lake Harriet in the Twin Cities after she picked him up. The lights of Minneapolis reflecting off the water. (He gets it from me - the knack for the dramatic.)

My wife and I had some free time and decided to join the newly engaged couple in the city of Fargo ND - take them out to eat and celebrate. It was a fantastic couple of days and they ended way to fast.

GI Joe

I suppose it was inevitable. He was going to join the military from the day he first stood up (with the aid of a strategically placed coffee table) and took his first steps.

And I guess I'm partly to blame. He loved Hasbro's GI Joes and all of the vehicles that came with them from a very early age. My wife and I fed that love by buying our boys these "war" toys.

When his brother and he played with them I remember a definite difference in how they played. While his younger brother went head long into "battle" without a thought, our soldier to be planned and strategized. He "softened up" the enemy with air power first. Then artillery. It was only after all of this that he committed ground forces to the "battle". This difference in "opinion" caused more than a few arguments and hurt feelings.

Now that I look back I can see that he was destined for this. Somehow it makes me proud of him and more than a little sad at the same time. When he went away for Basic Training it was one of the most moving (and upsetting) experiences of my life. I'll never forget the emotions I felt on that day.

The Year of Hell is about to begin

Our middle son has just been called up to go to Iraq for a year. He didn't sign up for the Army with his eyes closed. All along we knew that this would be a possibility - we just always prayed that it wouldn't come to this.

He will leave before his 21st birthday and won't return until after his 22nd. He'll miss a lot during this year. He'll miss a lot and we'll miss him.

LAte NiGHt RaMBlingS

Why? Why does one start a blog? I really don't know. For me I suppose it's just the desire to put my thoughts out there. A way to set things straight in my mind. A way to make sure that at least some of the synapses still fire when I want them to. And also my thoughts are here for others to consider - ponder - comment on. There's probably not going to be anything published here that will shatter your view of the world. Mostly just my ramblings in the night.

Read them if you want to - they're not here for you necessarily - mostly they are here for me.