This week Crossbow heads out to the US Army. Gisella mentioned it the other day, and I started thinking about my brother, Pete, who joined the Army right after high school. Pete and I are ten months apart (I'm older), and about as close as you can be when you aren't twins. When I think of his time in the Army, one of the things that stand out in my mind is the day he came back. I asked him if he thought joining up had been worth it. He looked at me, thought about it, then said it was the absolute best and worst thing he'd ever done. Sometimes I think I know what he means, and other times I'm sure I don't.

I remember when Pete went away to Basic Training. He left and the house seemed really empty, even though there were four more kids living at home at the time. You have to know my brother to realize that he is usually the one who is the entertainment, and there is almost nothing he will not do to make you smile (or laugh uncontrollably).

He called once he got there, to let us know where he was, (Ft. Benning, GA) and that we were not allowed to send him any goodies from home. He told us about one guy who got an entire tin of cookies from home and the Sergeant made him eat them all at once and then run for an hour. The poor guy literally lost them after 45 minutes.

I have never been one to follow the rules meekly and for some unknown reason, I thought the US Army must be run by the cruelest people on earth! How could they not allow even a stick of chewing gum?! Oh the inhumanity!! (OK, so sue me, I was a "Drama Queen" until after I left college.) I concocted this grand scheme where I would write him a letter every day and tape a piece of Wrigley's gum (catch that shameless product plug) to the letter. I figured there was no way they could catch that, after all, it was nowhere near as big as a tin of cookies.

Pete got seven letters without any problem. Then the tape in the eighth one I sent him must have come loose, because it rattled as the Sergeant was handing it to him. He made my brother open the envelope, then he pulled out the stick of gum. He stood there berating my brother, screaming that there was nothing that could get past him. Meanwhile Pete is standing there yelling "No sir!² in response, thinking about the other seven sticks of gum back in his trunk.

The sergeant decided that the most appropriate punishment would be to make Pete share the stick of gum with the other 90 guys in the squad. He made everyone stand at attention, while my brother had to go around to each man and give him a sliver of gum. Most of the guys who liked Pete would just pretend they were taking the gum, and then he could go on to the next guy, but there were some who decided it was hilarious and made sure they got their 1/90th of a piece. All in all, Pete got off easy, though he said his fingers were sore by the time he was done. So to make himself feel better, he went back to the bunk and had a whole stick to himself.

Hee Hee!

Be All You Can Be.

Heather