Advice Offered

Okay, even though I didn't get the advice I sought a few posts ago, it's only fair that after asking, I should in return give adivce. So here it is. Don't tell someone whose son joined the military that it will make a man out of him, unless it's another hillbilly whom you know would have the same ill (or non-) considered idea.

I imagine people only say that because they've heard other people saying it, without actually thinking about it. I recall when my elder son was a baby and the Viet Nam war was taking off. I heard people say joining the army would make men out of those draftees. The thing is, if they lived through it, they'd grow to be men, but so many of them died just as they were leaving boyhood.

Now that my younger son has joined the army, I've had two people say to me, "Great. It'll make a man out of him." They don't even know him. Never met him. He's already a man. He's 24 years old. And he's a fine man. He helps the other recruits and classmates at every opportunity. In fact, when he ponders the meaning of his life, he thinks that maybe his whole purpose is to help other people. I can't understand how he squares it all with joining the US Army - the world's most highly trained killing machine - but that's not up to me. That's up to him. But the army is not going to "make a man out of him." The army is going to make a soldier out of him. And the next person who makes that ridiculous statement to me is going to get that answer. What would they say if I had a daughter who joined?

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.