War never changes

         

Last night I was at a marching band contest when an old friend who had moved away last year came to visit. It was quite the pleasant reunion, and I can’t deny it felt great to have the old group back together. Though the good times were ever so slightly spoiled by the thoughts provoked by one particular conversation. I knew that most of my friends planned on entering some form of military after they graduated, but I never considered it for myself. The subject of enlistment arose in conversation, and my friend Riley said that he was thinking about joining the Green Berets. Devin (the friend who came to visit) said that he shouldn’t because they’re the first to get shipped out, Riley replied with “yeah thats the point.” Whether this was him showing evidence of a death wish or a misguided view of the grandeur of war I don’t know, but either way it was unnerving. However, what came next was significantly worse. Devin suggested that Riley should come into the Navy with him, this was followed by “just think about it.” He would have continued but thankfully he was interrupted by a newcomer to the conversation. After that the conversation jumped subjects, but in that fleeting moment after he said “just think about it,” I did. And for half a second I thought that “hey, I’m still not sure what I’m gonna do with my life, I’ll be with my two best friends, and maybe, just maybe this is what I should do with my life.” In that instance I saw an entire future of good times being out there with my friends, and working for a higher meaning. Then the other half of that second hit, and all that came crashing to the ground. Something about this situation seemed eerily familiar, I was reminded of the film “All Quiet on the Western Front.” This movie tells the story of a group of friends who, after being filled with images of glory and grandeur by their elders, decide to enlist in the army immediately after graduating. They were so happy and excited to be young, surrounded by friends, and fighting for some higher purpose. The story then follows them through the years of WWII as they all realize what war is truly like and how horrible the world can be. Slowly they all die off in horrible displays of the evils of mankind. In the end they’re all gone and forgotten, their deaths virtually meaningless. This is not how I want to spend my life.