Where it all began...

Midshipmen conversations do not vary much from one another. It really doesn’t matter who is talking conversations are usually about: 1-class sucks 2-Mid X is a total Joe 3- EE sucks!! 4-My company officer or senior enlisted is making me do X 5- Saturday’s football game 6-Plans for Saturday after the football game 7- Service selection or 8-..you’ve fallen asleep! After meeting Charles at a glorious 2000 restriction muster-somewhere between our third or fourth conversation-came up the usual question: “What are you service selecting?” I was expecting Marine Corps Air, maybe even grunt; what I wasn’t expecting was the real answer: SEALs! Being the natural planner that I am, I began thinking of all the implications to any possible future this possible relationship would have. Naturally, I was service selecting Marine Corps-air if at all possible so this whole trying to date a Navy guy was not a good thing so far. Should I just totally discard this really cute guy and move on? How were we supposed to live together and happy in different services? Co-location would be a nightmare right? All common sense was thrown away and I did the unexpected; I actually decided to not ignore him and try to pursue a relationship.

The first event in this six-year journey begun shortly after we met; while we were seeing each other already we weren’t exactly officially together. It was Charles’ second class year and one Mini BUD/s screener had already taken place. Charles wasn’t able to partake in it because of sprint football season, January was his only opportunity to do it. As he trained for the screener I discovered something about Charles- he was addicted to working out and you better not get in his way. I of course attributed all this crazy working out to the screener. In order for him to compete with his classmates for a much coveted spot, he had to be incredibly fit and ready for this.

Annapolis winters while not the harshest in the country can potentially be brutal. The Academy’s prime real estate location also promises the nastiest winds in town; it wasn’t surprise when that first three-day weekend came up and a snow storm hit town.

At exactly 2:30 pm I was walking from my 5th wing bedroom to class. It was Friday and I certainly did not want to attend that last period- but what option did I have? It’s not like I was at a regular college! Spanish class with Proffesor Garth was quite boring and I’d rather watch the “screener guys” start off their weekend. Sure enough, as I get to 1-0 (1st wing, 0 deck) I see Charles running, ready to start the weekend. A huge smile donned his face; he looked like a three year old child on Christmas morning. That smile was the last one I would see for a while.





To be continued...