Life is full of uncertainty. We think our lives will turn out a certain way and everything will fall into place perfectly. Well, as we grow up and enter the “real world” we quickly realize that things don’t always go the way we had planned.
Today I found out that my friend Josh who joined the Marines right after high school is being deployed to Afghanistan. For the past year or so Josh has been stationed in Japan. He will be back home for a few short week before heading back to Japan to prepare for deployment. Josh and I were born only 13 days apart. We beat on each other as kids and grew up together. We went to the same high school and have remained friends since graduation. Josh knew that he wanted to join the military early on and he knew he would most likely be deployed. It’s hard to believe that this guy I have know my whole life will be going to the front lines very soon and again no one can be certain at how his deployment will go. I can’t imagine how his family and recently new bride will deal with him leaving again. Japan was one place but Afghanistan is a whole different situation. I will pray everyday that Josh comes back home safely.
When I received the news about Josh I was reading the book Maus I by Art Spiegelman. This book is a graphic novel discussing the story of one family’s experience with the Holocaust. Some might not see the connection between deployment and the story behind Maus I but for me the theme of uncertainty stood out. In Maus I the family is constantly have to relocate to hide from the Nazi’s in order to try and save themselves from being sent to Auschwitz. The Jewish families were terrified not knowing what would come next for them. I think that the theme of uncertainty and not knowing what is to come is very relevant to military families today. Military members often have to be relocated which means that they have to pick up their lives and being a new life in a new spot. Families and soldiers often wonder what will come next. Will they be deployed? Will they die at war? There is no way to know what is to come. You have to be a strong person to deal with life in the military. I personally get freaked out when thinking about how uncertain everything can be. Like the characters in the book, all we can do is fight to survive and not give up; stay strong for our love ones and hope for a better day.
Spiegelman, Art. Maus I. New York, NY: Pantheon Books, 1986.
Haley Said:
on October 23, 2009 at 10:21 pm
This is an awesome connection and I can see it clearly. I think it even connects what we were talking about in class on Thursday. The uncertainty that Levi feels about the camp, because no one answers his questions.
I think most people have, like you said, have this happy idea about what they want to do with their lives, it’s like a sercurity blanket or something. Almost three weeks ago my father had a heart attack and almost died. I can say for sure I had not thought of him dying so young and apparently healthly. I imagined him as an old man when he would. The reality is that it can be anytime, anywhere, anyone AND that it is so uncertain AND more importantly scary.
So maybe that was all a bit to much but I just thought of it when I read your post. Just to quote you…
” I personally get freaked out when thinking about how uncertain everything can be.”
You are not alone on this and I wish your friend the best of luck, I hope he comes home safe.