Decisions and the reenlistment scandal...

We chose orders to our next duty station today. Some others and I on the ship were doing some research trying to find out what was available to seethe our growing curiosity of where our future was going to be heading. As I walked into the career center I thought to myself that I have to stay strong and not be swayed by something that I knew wasn't in my best interests. If I wasn't getting exactly what I wanted, I was going to move along and possibly try to choose sometime later on to bargain for something better. Surprisingly, I got what I wanted. At the time I wanted to go to Seattle, but they didn't have any orders there. I chose Fleet Combat Training Center, Point Loma here in San Diego. The real question was whether or not to reenlist or just extend. If I had reenlisted, I would have had to reenlist for a minimum of 3 years. If I extended I would have to stay in the Navy for another 2 years. The reenlistment would have gotten me about $16, 000 minus taxes. Extending gets me nothing. Was it worth it to do three more years and get the money or do another two years and get nothing? No one really understood the fact that I'm extremely cautious about what I do these days in terms of my life and how things affect me. They all said that it was kind of stupid to pass up the chance to get that much money. Since I've been in the Navy, if there is one thing I've learned, it's that making wrong decisions about these types of things is an extremely stupid thing to do. The other thing I've learned is that I'd rather be happy and get by than to be miserable and have lots of money. So I chose to extend for two more years and not take the money. Money and the rich lifestyle is a lure, a trick played on people who fall in love with the green. Most of them feel as thought they have been hoodwinked. Bamboozled. Swindled. Well, as the song goes, take the money and run. They somehow think that money equates happiness and being content. As a wise man once said, everything that really matters you get without money at all: romance, devotion, friendships, wisdom, manners, culture, etc. I also learned something from another excellent book that I read a while back called Class by Paul Fussel. That book is about the class divisions and the American status system. I learned that having class isn't about having money, it's more about doing something with the money that you have. It's things like keeping your car clean and well maintained, keeping your house clean, and keeping your clothing neat. You don't have to spend a million dollars on a house and a car to have a fulfilling life. The bourgeoisie seem to think that making more money is going to make them better people or get them further. I admit, it sucks to be poor. I guess in a way I'm lucky that I came into the Navy because I have made decent money since I've been in and it's going to set me up well for when I get out. I didn't give in to the American Dream. Requiem for A Dream is a good movie where they illustrate what the lure of money and the American Dream will get you if you aren't careful. Real success takes real work. You can't get anything for free. Not in this life. So get out there and do something before you die.