by Mike Strong on Thu Sep 04, 2008 3:00 pm
Okay, - here is a story I posted on the old eF; so I might a well repost it here, ...
... it's a true story, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
In 1980 I was a 20 year old English/Theater Double Major at The Univeristy of Iowa. I was getting good grades, but my Dad wanted me go into a pre-law program, and when I refused, he pulled the plug on my tuition. We were right in the midst of The Farm Crisis, and in Iowa - there were no jobs at that time, - none. I couldn't find a job shoveling shit, ( and I was an experienced shit shoveler).
I ended up pennyless, hungry, and without a home. I figured my best bet for survival was to join a cult; it made sense to me, because I had always been interested in Cult Mind Control, - and I would get three hots and a cot, giving me a chance to weather the hard economic times, - and I could always escape if they were a really hard-ball playing cult. So I went up to "The Quad" to pick out a cult from amoung the many groups who had fold out tables and pamphlettes for the curious, idealistic, weak-minded, ...
... and the hungry.
They were all there! The Hari Krishnas, The Ragneeshis', Heaven's Gate, you name it, they all had their recruiters there. I narrowed it down to two groups: The Hari Krishnas and The United States Army. On the one hand The Hari Krishnas would be cool, because they ate vegatarian meals, beat drums and chanted all day, - plus they seemed to have a lot of hot chicks. And on the other hand there was The Army, - world wide adventure and a life of danger !
Honest to god, I couldn't make up my mind; so I flipped a coin, - and The Army won.
I had already taken all the tests,and my scores were off the charts. The recruiter told me I could go into any field I wanted, (except intellegence) - he thought I should go with Arabic, infantry,and then Special Forces. He had the whole package put together, all I had to do was sign on the dotted line, and wait three months to start the program he had set out for me, ...
... but my empty stomach couldn't wait !
I told him if he couldn't get me started that day, - the deal was off.
He looked through his books, and all he could come up with was 31-Echo, Field Radio Repair, ( a non-combat MOS ). He just shook his head, and told me that if I wanted to go into a Combat MOS I would have to re-take basic Training, but ...
... I didn't care. I needed to eat. I had sold my van, and I had no place to sleep. I was flat broke,and I needed to go in (and I needed to go in that day, my 21st birthday); so I signed the contract, and was on my way to Ft. Leonardwood, Missouri...
... I should have joined The Marines.
[continued]
Last edited by Mike Strong on Fri Sep 05, 2008 12:02 pm, edited 4 times in total.
For a fleeting moment there, I almost thought maybe I understood that. 
...
