Life Blog 20090114

In a fifteen passenger van, second row back sat a boy on his way to MEPS. He was joining the US Air Force and this was his first trip. Not sure what to expect aside from a medical check like a sports physical and meeting with someone for what he thinks might be something like an interview for a job, only he'll be choosing at least four possible jobs from a list of jobs recommended specifically for him based on his score on the ASVAB.

The two rows behind him held two males and one female who would be shipping out to basic training for the Army after this MEPS. A boy just out of high school sat to his left. Two girls sat in the row before him and the driver and another man in the two front seats.

Dakota was her name. The girl seated directly in front of him. Dakota Rose. When the boy from the second row had met her in the USAF Recruiter's office at 0900 that morning he had remembered the name Rose. He told her that if he had ever had a daughter he would have named her Victoria Rose.
Dakota was Beautiful. Sandy blonde hair, reached down just past her shoulders. He had thought hopefully of a start of a friendship and possibly more, but then he noticed her ring. Twenty years old and she had been married for a month. She was still having trouble signing her new name properly. "Well," he thought, "perhaps it could still be a nice friendship." Although he considered that he would be slightly surprised if he saw her again after this trip. She had played softball. He seemed to have this natural tendency to fall for softball players.
What a strange way of thinking. The ride had been quite warm to start, and he should have used the restroom before he got on the bus. About 45 minutes into the trip it was hot enough that they had asked the driver to turn off the heat. Now, nearly two hours into the trip, the boy in the second row was quite cold despite his four shirts: under shirt, thermal, t-shirt, and a dress shirt to top it off. The cold was quickly magnifying his need to use the restroom, and he was wondering when they might stop. There were still several hours left to the trip, and he was also wondering about food. "Was everything to be supplied to them for this trip?"
He couldn't keep his thoughts from Dakota. "Did he have any hope of meeting a decent woman some day or was he to remain single as he had surrendered himself to?" He wanted to talk to Dakota some more, but she was wearing her headphones, listening to music, as was he; watching the scenery and world pass by the windows.