Short Note On Slow Motion

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Slow Motion My whole life has been leading up to this day, this moment. The day I graduate basic training. Two months of torture, sweat, and hard work has finally paid off. I never actually thought I’d be here, standing here. I 'm finally someone with a purpose in life, a soldier. My whole life I have wanted to be something more, something important, and now standing here it’s hard to believe I 've finally made it. I stand completely still, with the sun beating down on my face and the heat making it almost unbearable. The only thing that gets me through it is knowing I’m about to see my family for the first time in two months. It’s almost impossible not to run and find them in the crowd. I’ve never been one to struggle with missing family when I’m gone for things, but as I look into the crowd in the bleachers, all watching us, every one of them here for someone who is also standing in the crowd of graduates, searching for my parents, I realize how beautiful this moment is. Fort Jackson, South Carolina is a beautiful place, especially when you’ve been seeing the ugly side of it the past two months. But specifically this moment, with the sun setting behind the bleachers, making the crowd look almost angelic, the beauty of this place stands out to me, it makes me think about how happy I am to experience this. I was on the other side of this two years before. I was in the crowd waiting to see my older brother on his graduation day. I didn’t even think about what he had gone through for those two months away from his friends and family, until I went through it all myself. Now I’m aware. Now I know what he was feeling the day he stood there, completely still, waiting for us to come down to the crowd of soldiers and find him spec... ... middle of paper ... ... are missing their sisters and their brothers, the husbands and wives missing their spouse’s. And I feel for them, I feel sympathy, but even more so I feel pride. Pride I can say I made it, and I am officially a solder. Pride I am now part of a very small percentage that has made the decision to serve our wonderful nation. I thank God every day for those who serve with me, for those who are overseas fighting. Soldiers who have to be away from their friends and families not just for two months, but for over a year. I pray for them, for protection over them as they are in the heat of battle where there is so much death and destruction. So here is my question for you. What is your slow motion moment? Have you had a moment of realization, where something just clicked for you and all of a sudden it all made sense? I have, and it was one of the best moments of my life.

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