Gambatte21's blog: "Operation graduation"

created on 05/21/2009 | http://fubar.com/operation-graduation/b296208

posted on 05/21/2009&nbs-07:00;@&nbs-07:00;03:05&nbs-07:00;pm

a surreal 36 hours
http://fubar.com/a-surreal-36-hours/b296208-1024927

My oldest son in spite of all the obstacles placed in his path by his mother and some bad choices that he made finally graduated from High school on May 18, 2009. I am proud of him of that. It was not pretty, was not gracefully but he did graduate. Now he is on a new journey, his choices, his hard work and he has limited Excuses. I told him that I will see him graduate again where is his choice, either from College or Basic training from one of the 4 services…. The choice is up to him :-D. And Yes I am deadly serious about that part.

Phase 1. Pick up from Shelby and to Southaven.

In the infinite wisdom and the public relations game our command decided to give the soldiers whose family members were graduating from school a 36 hour pass to attend. Yeah the suck part of the equation is that we are not allowed to have own cars down here and so somebody has to pick us up or we have to get some type of commercial transportation. However this obstacle or challenge can overcome. Mom and Dad picked me up and we start the journey north. My mom has managed her money well for her retirement; she has nice Buick with all the gadgets to include xml satellite radio. She had it on the road house channel playing classic country; I was able to handle that for about 45 minutes so she moved it to soft rock for the rest of the journey. Okay that was a semi compromise, it was okay to listen to James Taylor, Jackson Brown, Kenny Logins and Dave Mason, but have 3 hours I was ready to get home.

It was around 12:00 noon, we were half way there; Grenada Mississippi would be a great place to eat. We stop at one of my favorite Restaurants there, Jake and Rips. It’s a bbq and steak house there. The waitresses are pretty cute, and it nice to see the softer side of life when you have been confined to a cell block 2334 for like 3 weeks. Got the steak…..Ah real food. Things were going good so far.

During the ride up, I caught up on my son and his activities, my brother and sister. It was a long drive. Finally got home. Took my boots off and got on the internet, kind of tired of the restrictive nature of wifi service at Camp Shelby. It freaking sucks that you can sign up and put your life on the line and you cannot look at some naked women on the internet because it might offend some body. Oh well.

Got a call from my sister wanting directions from Nashville to the school, gave her that and took it easy till it was time to go.

The drive from Southaven was interesting at least, the highway was not the answer, and Memphis traffic sucks beyond belief. So we move down the back roads, which in theory should work however when the engineers decide to shut down two bridges it makes, the task very difficult. Got a call from my sister wondering when we were going to there. It seems that she arrived there about the same time as my ex and her family and my sister was feeling very awkward about the situation. We arrive in the parking lot, my sister calls again, she was in the gym she was coming in broken up, and the comment was hurry up before I start a war. Okay we hurried to gym and proceed to the seats.

As we approached the entrance to gym, I saw my ex’s boss greeting her and her family, I saw blood red, anger and open hostility is an understatement. I had to walk out to regain my composure. It is hard to forget how somebody who stabbed you in the back, left you for dead and has not said a freaking word to you in 8 years, but I was there for my son. I was there to support him and not embarrass him and make a scene. It took about 5 minutes to calm down and then approached the entrance again. My youngest son Alex asked me where I was at told him I had to get some air. Approached the seating in the gym and real fun began the meet and greet. Said hello to her father a retired WW2 Master Chief from the navy, it was pleasant. Her sister, the woman who arranged the plane tickets to fly my kids to Florida on that night of betrayal and was there with her the day I was sign the divorce paper at mediation. I had such a freaking two face smile for her, very painful, it is not who I am. Greet her husband, really stand up guy. Her mother, she chastised me for not coming to see her, Did not want to get in it with her about how her freaking daughter screwed that up with bitchy you will see my mom attitude before you leave commands, sorry I have freaking paper work that says I do not have listen to her and I doubt serious I going to get laid by her to pay attention, even if that was the case, it would not be worth the effort. Had a few more side bar conversations with her father, about his grandson who was with 10 mountains going back to Afghanistan it was pleasant? A kid walked over to me, he was young private in the National Guard getting ready to deploy for the first time and he was also in ROTC, and debating on what to do. I gave him some different perspectives, weighing each positive and negative option for him, not really try to sway him either way but let him make an informed decision.

Phase II The Objective.

Finally the ceremony begins, thank God no more small talk with the pretentious graciousness that I have show to people who kicked me to the curb. The music plays, slightly off key and off tempo, no big deal small school this is normal, the seniors start their march. Noticed there are few cuties in the honor society, and he could not get one of them as study buddy. Any my son finally comes by, the curse of having a last name near the end of the alphabet. Fist pump and hug, I was in an aisle seat, good thing. He gets to his seat everybody sits down. You know the routine, prayer, quick speech by the principal, the salutatorian. The salutatorian gave a decent speech. Mainly it is time to seize your destiny thing. Then came the valedictorian and the reason I hated High school. The canned speech and the fake rhythm, nails on the black board. No passion, no depth, and no fire, just a series of copy and paste sentences to placate those in power in order to get attention. The final straw was when she quoted the entire lyrics from a song from the Broadway play “Wicked”. The whole song not a line or two the whole freaking song. She reminded me of a small city anchorwoman, who is pretty and entirely clueless to the world. Oh well she will get shock of her life in the real world. Finally she is done. Then the chorus sang a song, again another pretentious song about how they are going to miss high school in their separate journeys ya da ya da. Then they read the honor society members, and the scholarship money that each of the students might have earned. Being a small private school, the ratio was pretty high. Oh yeah, 5 people did not any scholarship money, lets figure the odds and maybe give me a break….No, my son had to roll snake eyes. Oh well, He might appreciate the education more since he has to help pay for it himself, and things do happen for a reason. Then the graduation march, after the march they did a small ceremony for the graduates to give a rose to people in their life my gracious son gave one to each grandmother and his mom. Then the school did something really special, they recognized two of the kids whose family member’s either mom or dad was being deployed. Pretty cool, got a standing ovation from the crowd. Then they announced the third student, Randy Smith, and his dad Staff Sergeant Miles Smith who is in the audience with us he will be deploying in June. And Mr. Smith could you please stand up. It was kind of a humbling moment in my life, I am not saying that it was unwelcomed, but it is nice to hear the respect. Then it got weird, my ex was actually crying. WTF, the same one who knifed me in my back, on 09/11 told me that a possible call up was reason to hurry and get the divorced, who is first response when I emailed her that I was getting called up the first time was “ Are the kids on the life insurance”, and like a week before I left the first time, got in a pissing contest where the dumbass she had the affair with and married, started smarting off about being GI Joe and other shit, and then my oldest son said the same thing and caused me to whip his ass and tell my mother to take them back to their mom who had them brainwash, the same one where I did not get a freaking letter from my kids for like 6 months during the spring and summer time but can have the kids spend a half day at Hope Prez to help with the Katrina victims, and when I am back state side, the first email I get from her was concerning the child support payment schedule. Yeah she was crying, I do not know if she sincere or not or her reasons. However I been down this rodeo before and while I have hope that maybe there is a slimmer of soul left in her but I am old school Actions will always speak louder than words. The graduates of 2009 then did their march out and then things got really weird after that. The mass exit of people and gathering of friends and family around each individual graduate, my exit strategy was at a standstill. I had to shake hands with the top two of my target list. Oh I was pleasant and gracious, but I could have gutted them both without blinking an eye or lost some sleep. Have not talked them in 8 freaking years and they want to wish me good luck on this tour, yeah right still kind of think they want to jinx me so the ex can collect the 400,000 insurance policy, got a few pictures of me and my son, but it was hard moving people who wishing me good luck and say return and they were praying for me. Again that is humbling to a very sobering degree. Some people actual do respect you for what you do verses the normal treatment you get from people who have relations with. Still bearing the scars from those whips. Finally drove home, less time than to get there. It had been a long day and got something to eat and went to bed.

Phase 3: Return to the Prison Camp.

Got up early, the rhythm of deployment life has sunk in and sleeping late is not really an option. Got on the computer till the stores opened for business. Made my runs, bought 4 logs of Grizzly Green because the PX cannot keep it stock. Should last me till Pass weekend. Went to Wal-Mart to get a few odds and ends, and then got to the 5 dollar DVD section. Racked up on some classic movies. Went to Best buy to get some CDs that I know Wal-Mart will not have. And bought my son a new x box game for graduation. Stopped by Hooters of Hornlake, to get one last meal before I left and pick up some things for my can in Iraq to brighten the room up. And then I headed home. Got my son some wings to go since he was out late the night before with a YMCA locking in to make sure nobody does something crazy on their graduation night. Woke him up to say good bye and let him get his wings hot. Then his mother called, I said about three words and gave the phone to him in a hurry. My Mom was laughing on how fast I did that. Finished packing and loaded it in the car. Started the Drive back home, made a decision not to listen to the Bridge again so Turning it to the Jazz channel. It was pleasant for everybody and a very good compromise.

Got to Jackson in time to say Good bye to my friends at work before I go overseas, spent about 45 minutes working the room and then back on the road to Shelby. We decide to eat in Hattiesburg instead of Jackson, and we drove till we got to Olive Garden. It was a very busy and pleasant place. Then I got a strange text from my ex.

Her: Were y surprised about how they made a dedication to you i thought this was very thoughtful

My response: It was very nice and thoughtful

Her: We all are very proud of you especially your two sons take care and please let me know? What items we can send

My Response: I will let you know later and when I get my APO address.

Her response: Great be safe

My Response: Thank you.

I guess she realized how shitty she treated me the last deployment that she is getting a second chance to make up. While that is good thing, and I do believe in second chances, third chances and more, I also believe that you treat people the way you want to be treated. While I will never stoop that low even for her, I am weary of what I am being set up for.

Summary:

My son Graduated from High School, I was gracious to people who did not deserve it but because of the event and it was for my son I was not going to ruin it for him. Overall, it was good to get out of the insane world of Camp Shelby for a little bit, but then again to be dropped off in the surreal world of the graduation was not a bargain but it was for my son.

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