[16 Aug 2007 Thursday]
1:54 AM Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
There is something to be said about waking up at 0800 to the National Anthem being played over loud-speakers and then immediately hearing the sound of 50-cals going off on the range in the distance. It's comforting? reassuring? relaxing? most American thing ever? Pick one.
I leave for Norfolk in a little more than two days and I'm not sure I'm ready to go back. I've gotten used to my job schedule and my online school schedule and my diving schedule and my social schedule and things like the range. I've gotten used to appreciating things because of the great irony that is Guantanamo Bay.
Digression... let's take a quick look at this irony thing. 1- this place is gorgeous, but the detained enemy combatants can't see outside their designated areas.... 2- i'm a free law abiding American, but the camps have Comedy Central and I don't.... 3- I get to be online whenever I want ranting about whatever I want and somewhere on this same island there are people who aren't allowed to because it's a national security threat... 4- i snorkel and drink and hang out and take pictures and do all those amazing wonderful things that Americans get to do right next to the people who wanted to take all of this away from me.
What's going to kill me is when I go back to the states and see just how apathetic and silly the general public is. Also, i start my Civic Engagement and Political Media class (or some crap like that) and this one girl always upsets me. Last semester she called everyone who works in GTMO "murdering traitors" and I went ballistic. I can't imagine how crazy i'll go if she says it this semester, or even something like that. I might just have to choke a bitch.
I've made some of the best friends i've ever had down here and if some girl who thinks she knows everything insults them and my Dad... I really would have no self-control or composure about myself. I love my friends down here. They're honestly some of the most amazing people I've ever met in my entire life. This summer would have been a complete bust if I didn't have them. The best part about them is that when i leave it's not going to be a traumatic depressing experience... down here it's just how things go. When you're dealing with civilians they don't understand that people come and go and when your friend leaves it's not the end of the world. They get sad and start behaving oddly... with friends who are military (or at least brats) you don't have to worry about losing your friend, you're just sending them away so you've got a house to stay at in another city.
There are hundreds of people down here itching to get off island... and here I am, unhappy to be going. 5 on the irony list... those of us down here voluntarily want to stay and those on orders cannot wait to be gone.
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In other news, other than all this staying/going craziness and some other major stressors, I've been uncharacteristically happy lately. I think it's the addition of a certain person to my social scheme. Also, I still miss somebody who left at the beginning of the summer something fierce. He made quite the impression.
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