If Only Things Were Different

You know, when you get to be my age (I turned 66 on Tuesday), you start to look back at your life and wonder how things might have been different if you had made other choices. In my case, I have to tell you that my life has turned out rather well. I have been married to my high school sweetheart since 1964, and I have not only risen to high political office, I have also made a boatload of money along the way.

As I said, I have led a successful life… but there ARE a few things that I would change if I could: First, I would have done better in my studies at Yale… I was flunking out and almost lost one of my five draft deferments. That was scary, especially with a war heating up!

As much of a war supporter as I have been throughout my political career, as well as in my private career… it's just that… well… I just had other priorities in the 60's, so I didn't bother to serve… yeah, getting married before I even finished college was well-timed… they weren't drafting married guys then, so it was cool.

So, there I was, in college, married, and safe from the draft… at least, until the laws changed and married men were eligible again. Shit! What now? Well, we decided to start a family, right there and then. They were taking married guys… but not married guys with kids! Well, that worked out well enough, and kept me out of uniform until 1967, when I turned 26 and was no longer eligible for the draft. Whew!

As I said… perhaps I should have done some things differently, I mean, now, military service is popular… especially with all of those useless great working class people. Maybe if I had served, people would quit calling me a "Chickenhawk" Maybe if I had served, people would be less likely to think that I am eager to send their sons and daughters to risk the safety of their asses while I never did anything even remotely risky (except for getting arrested for drunk driving… twice, years ago) . Too late for that now, though, especially since the Iraq insurgency is in its last throes.

Well, I guess I can't dwell on things for too long. What's done is done, they always say.

Geez, I am getting old. I am starting to get maudlin over the fact that my days of power are on the wane. In not too long, I'll have to leave this great house on Massachusetts Avenue, and return to the private sector.

Maybe it's time to do just that. Maybe then, nobody will get all bent out of shape just because I like to drink while hunting. You'd think I shot somebody in the face or something… oh.

Gunfighter lives in Washington, D.C.'s northern Virginia suburbs with his wife and 8 year old daughter. He is a veteran of 8 years of enlisted service in the Marines, and makes a living teaching Feds how to fight with guns. He is active in his church and community, and loves dogs, especially Greyhounds. He blogs (ad nauseum) about the things he sees, and what he thinks about them at The View From Here

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