The One Where I Tell You About That Marine I Dated

Surprised, huh? I've only mentioned this Marine once before, and only in passing.

Well, we were never boyfriend-girlfriend. Which makes me wonder what to call him, because That-One-Ex-Marine-I-Dated is long and annoying to type out.

The-Cutey-From-My-US-History-Class-I-Made-Out-With?

That-Military-Guy-That-Changed-My-Perspective-On-US-Armed-Forces?

That-Boy-That-Got-Me-Hooked-On-Whiskey&Dr.Pepper-And-Old-Western-Flicks?

The-Guy-Who-Convinced-Me-That-"Cowboy Churches"-Are-Cooler-And-That-I-Should-Move-To-Montana?

Yeah, because all of those are so much shorter, Valorie. Good job. What a winner.

Anyways. I'm thinking about Marine right now because I had Wendy's earlier. The only time before now that I'd been to that particular Wendy's was when I once went with Marine and we he played a prank on the girl at the window, ordering 2 chicken burgers and then insisting that he'd actually ordered like 12 and was mad she messed up his order. ...It was funny at the time, I promise.

Eh-hem. Right. So, every time I pass that Wendy's, I crave a whiskey/dr.pepper and a night in watching old western movies. Then I wonder about what Marine is doing now -- not because I miss him that way; he transferred schools and we've lost touch. Then, I think about Marines in general. And then I think about all our boys overseas, and I wonder what they're doing now. And I get kind of worried about them. And while Marine always talked about his previous tours like he mostly enjoyed them, there was clearly something not-as-enjoyable that he was holding back, and that scares me. I mean, I know those men (and women, let's not forget them) are brave, they signed up for this, they knew what they were getting into... but still.

I used to not do that. I don't want to say I was un-supportive of our military exactly, but I definitely wasn't behind them. I was pretty neutral. Switzerland. Their reality didn't seem real to me. After dating Marine, it's real to me now.

I don't know how much I support the war we're involved in. I don't know whether or not I think it's "right" that we're there. I just don't know. I feel like there's a lot of details and complex subtleties about this whole situation that I'll never understand.

But I support the Marines that are there. I support all the men and women that are over there, fighting for what they believe in, defending our country. So, thank you, Marine for that. By sharing your story, even what little of it I actually got a chance to hear, my view of the military has changed dramatically.

If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you're an American reading this in English, thank a soldier.