Military question for anyone serving/served

 

I wouldn't tell either

 

Just don't make it obvious

 

It's 4:30 AM. I went to bed at 3 AM, laid there for about an hour and a half, and just could not to go sleep. Typical, really. Rather than screw my schedule up any more than it already is, I'm going to stay up for as long as I can possibly stand, and then collapse into a heap of kitten.

Okay. *takes a deep breath* I've spent some time reviewing my options, and I've made a tentative decision.

A lot of factors have contributed to my current situation. Honestly, the biggest factor is me. My attitude, my short-term goals, my priorities. I could've done certain things a lot differently, and now I find myself in a precarious position. Well, I'm tired of it. After a period of self-examination, I've come to realize why I have a difficult time maintaining jobs and living quarters. I've also realized what it would take to get my life into a position of total self-sufficiency, which is what I desperately need, and honestly should've had since day 1.

My early choice, the oilfield... is not for me. I can see it from a mile away. It's the kind of job I'd enjoy for a week, and begin to loathe after another, and hold on to it for as long as I could stand until one day I just quit. There's no mental stimulation, and besides experience, I'd leave it with little more than I entered it with. Like trucking. And every other endeavor I've started into.

Another option I'd been considering was sticking around south Texas, working full-time somewhere while doing computer repair on the side, building up to running my own computer repair shop in the future. But I thought about it... my friend James is -so- much better with computers than me, especially on the hardware front. And he attempted to go this route. He actually stuck it out for about 5 years. Never broke even. Probably because of location. Anyway, he moved to Dallas to try there, and was immediately squeezed out of the market because he had no degree. His current job? He's a pharmacist... doing what he did here to finance his computer business. If it didn't work for him, it sure as hell won't work for me: I -know- my limitations.

Now, I'd been considering the Army Reserves, but I don't think I want that. It's 2 years of active duty, and then a commitment for like 20 years afterwards, with very few benefits. So yeah, no.

Before I explain what I've chosen, and why, I'm going to espouse on goals that I've set for myself. Yay for boring Aaron-rambles! ...well what'd you expect? :P But yes. I've decided that I seriously want to learn computer programming. I've always had a knack for software-related computer issues, and those who know me well know how I like to hack. :3 And I want a job where I can work from home, possibly as a contractor, at my own leisure, taking a few days off, then working hard for a few more, getting things done well, my way. But obviously I can't have this job immediately. So what would get me into a position where I -could- do this job, or perhaps something else, the fastest and most efficiently? The other goal I set was to, well, have this all taken care of by the time I'm 30. 30 sounds f**king OLD, but that's less than 8 years away. Argh. :P

Now, with this goal in mind, I'm going to need a couple of things under my belt. A college degree in computer science. Practical experience. Capital. I'm not going to get these things working on an oilfield, and I'm certain not going to get them putzing around south Texas, flipping burgers by day and fixing computers by night. So what's an Aaron to do?

Aaron's gonna get serious. ^_^ I'm currently at my lightest adult weight... about 245-ish. In the next 3-6 months, I plan to bring that down to roughly 190 or so... at which point, I'm going to enlist in the Air Force. I've taken the written ASVAB before and scored off the charts; it would take an idiot to send me anywhere near a battlefield. They have a program where you earn college credit while you're in the service, and your "job" is to learn a certain skill. Research shows that programming is one of the skills they have, and I'd sure love to go that route. Being paid $1200+ a month plus expenses to work towards a degree and learn a valuable skill? Sounds good to me. Working off my last 50 pounds should get me into great shape; basic training will be a breeze. It's a four-year commitment, which sounds rough in the beginning. But that's four years where I don't have to worry about meals, four years where I don't have to worry where I'm going to sleep at night. And when those four years are up, I'll transfer straight into college and finish off my degree. It'll be hard as hell, I know. But it's time for me to buckle down, to get serious, to be an adult. And this is how I'm tentatively choosing to do it.