Reflections

We are all the sum of our experiences.  Whether it is a success or failure, these experiences act as a lesson that can influence future behaviors.  I hate it when people say that there is a set number of rules, personal attributes, or controllable characteristics, that could make you a better friend, more likable person, desirable boyfriend or girlfriend, etc.  There are no predetermined rules.  No guaranteed list of guidelines.  No coach that will be able to stand behind a doorway or talk through a microphone to an earpiece in your ear to feed you the information you need to navigate through life or personal situations.  

All you need to do is read more.  Read often.  And vary the reading.  The more you do, the more you learn.  Also, talk to people more.  The more you interact with others, the more you will learn about the unwritten rules and guidelines with applying to the ever-evolving world of communication and public interaction.  It takes practice.  It takes time.  It takes a willingness to be open to an understanding of the events and situations taking place around you.  That is how I learned the things I am about to share.  I am hoping that the lessons I have learned will help to guide you through whatever endeavors it is that life has in store for you.  Before I do, I would like to take a moment to tell you a little about myself and about the lessons I learned during my time spent in the military.  This list is not the entirety of what I learned, I am still picking things up every day, but these are some of the more important, or more amusing things that I wanted to share.  I hope that you enjoy and learn.

I spent four years as an active-duty member of the United States Air Force.  I did my basic military training and technical school instructions at Lackland Air Force Base located in the San Antonio area of Texas.  I was then stationed at Ramstein Air Force Base in the Ramstein-Miesenbach area of Germany.  During my active-duty service, I was deployed to Joint Base Balad in Iraq where I provided security for retrograde operations in 2011.  Upon completion of my active-duty service, I immediately registered for classes and used my GI Bill benefits to get my bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies.  The week of my graduation from California State University in Sacramento (Go Hornets!  Stingers Up!), I was offered a position doing data entry through a temp agency.  16 months later, I was offered a permanent position with the company and I work for them to this day.

The lessons I am about to share apply to whatever you will choose to do with your life.  Or not.  If anything, I promise there will be at least a laugh or two.  If there is one thing the military does well, it provides a lifetime’s worth of comedic stories and packs them into a very short amount of time.  Enjoy!