War Boy

On NPR yesterday there was a spot on military blogs, or "milblogs," so naturally I ran straight back to the office to take a look. It was a refreshing and thought-provoking experience.

The two that were spotlighted had obviously hit it big and came across as a bit too overhyped, so I ventured out on my own to find others. I read several, but was particularly captivated with one from an anonymous 20-something infantryman called "The Unlikely Soldier." I read all I had time to read, plus two additional hours. And just for the record, there aren't any shirtless pictures of him or other hot army guys on his site, so those readers that might be inclined to go there for that reason alone (you know who you are), you'll be disappointed. You will not, however, be disappointed with his humble charm and light-hearted accounts of an average guy learning to protect us from enemies.

Reading his blog opened my eyes to how little I know about military life, and what compels people to choose it as a path in their life. It was really very interesting. While it's hard to admit this to myself, I suppose I have a [unfounded] perception that the military is just various tiers of power-mongering leaders exercizing complete control over high school drop-outs and disenfranchised youth (with guns). I think I need to work on that misguided opinion.

For some time now I've been absent-mindedly listening to news shows and cringing at how stupid we are for being in Iraq. Like many of us do, I tend to think I know a fair amount about things because I watch 15 minutes of television in the morning and listen to NPR on the way to work. These milblogs made me want to learn more about what's really going on there. Specifically, from the eyes and ears and boots of the agenda-free boys on the ground.

And finally, it was nice to get out of the gay blog world. I should do it more often just to keep myself grounded. It's been a while since I came across the word "faggot," and sometimes I forget there are actually people that still say that. It's also refreshing not to hear about the latest Madonna song, or a shopping excursion to Saks, or a fabulous dinner party with all of our fabulous gay friends. Hearing about drinking toilet water out of a canteen and almost being shot as part of their job begins to put my life a bit more into perspective. Maybe I'll quit bitching about how my housekeeper can't put my pictures back in the right place, or how no first-class upgrades are available or the fact that my adorable puppy hogs the covers.

But then again, that's about as exciting as my life gets. I guess I'll have to continue living vicariously through my fellow bloggers. Cheers to all of you.