Doin' Time

"Before I got out, a friend had told me that ex-cons, no matter how much time they had spent locked down, almost immediately sense upon their release that their prison experience happened a thousand years ago and a million miles away." -Jim Goad

Ironically, I feel the same way about having been on a ship in the Navy. Since my release, I've been home for a month now. In their finite wisdom, the rule makers onboard our ship decided that we should just have to "muster" (Navy term meaning meet) two times a week until we transfer. For once, they put all their brains together and came up with a good idea. I feel like I can hardly remember any of the things that happened during the deployment. The people seem to me as ghosts in a dream that I can't really recall with any clarity. I've already data-dumped everything and started forgetting faces. I don't miss the stupid, hateful people, the stressful times or the lack of freedom. No, not one bit. I do miss a few key people and they know who they are. But I damn sure don't miss anything about that ship or the life that I led when I was there. I suppose it's a feeling that convicts and sailors share. I will soon be writing an article about my time in the Navy and why I decided to stay in for 2 more years for shore duty which I dare assume will be a damn slight better than any ship, period.