...but in the army, it's a present for doing something good. Best soldier in Officers school? You get to go jump out of planes in Paratroopers course and such. So my...platoon (I guess that's how you say machlakah in english) got a chupar because we are the best of the three in my unit and we went to guard at the main bus station in Be'er Sheva where all the combat soldiers who train in the south come every Sunday morning. Being in uniform in public makes me wicked uncomfortable simply because they look at me like I have 3 eyes. Or like I have some intricate message written on my forehead and it takes a little pointing, staring and gasping to decode it. Mostly it's because the girls in my unit wear boys uniforms. We are a combat unit so we have everything the boys have and for some reason, this is shocking to Israelis. In these precarious situations I must be cautious to speak in short one syllable sentences so as not to give them a heartattack when they hear my accent and find out I'm American. Still though, this place is so great. I get yelled at by my commanders for smiling. There are worse things.
I can't believe you don't have any comments on your blog yet! You are an awesome writer, not to mention the awesomeness of making a decision like the one you made at age 18, and sticking with it and doing your best to succeed at what you have set out to do.
Your situation cuts a little close to home for me; my son is a junior in high-school and is thinking of doing something like what you've done. We're rooting for him to do a one-year thing first, then college and then aliyah (sounds safe and parent-like, doesn't it) but I can see the advantages of doing it your way. I'm just not ready to encourage my son to do that yet.
I'll be checking in on you and rooting for you every chance I get!
Posted by: nevermind | February 14, 2006 at 02:47 PM