The different experiences that happened to me 2009

I don't know where to begin because a lot happened during that year of 2009. First, I will start by talking a little bit about how Barack Obama defeated John McCain back in November of 2008. A lot of Conservatives during that year wished McCain would have been more aggressive because he had a strong Conservative woman as his VP in Sarah Palin. Me & my family were registered Democrats but were always Conservative so back in January of 2009 me & my mom decided to get out of the Liberal Democratic party and what it stood for because we were only in that party because my entire family was in that party. Me & my mom registered as Independents that year because in all honesty both the Republicans & Democrats have corrupt leaders in office (just being real). Secondly, I remember applying to a private school in Denver, CO back in 2008 for the spring of 2009 that year. I remember waiting to hear if I got in and that can be frustrating to hear whether or not if you got into a school or not. After about 3 weeks, I got a letter in the mail letting me know that I didn't get in (I found out about this back in March of 2009). So what do I do? Most people think the first thing you do when you hear bad news like that is panic right? That is the norm if you are not a Christian but for me that motivated me to try enlisting in the military. My mom was very encouraging and at 31, I figured I get in the military earn some income and help pay off my credit card debt. The Air Force National Guard was the first place I tried enlisting in. You don't just get into the military like that, you have to first pass your ASVAB test (you needed at least a score of a 31, the highest score you can get is a 99). The Sergeant started me off with a practice test and I scored a 31 on the practice test and he let me know that I was ready to take the real test at MEPS in Springfield, MA. 

Meanwhile, my big brother was visiting from California around the time I was scheduled to take the ASVAB test at MEPS. I called the Sergeant to let him know that family was visiting from out of town and if he could reschedule the test, then that would be great; well the Sergeant rescheduled for me to take the ASVAB test at a later day. Me, my mom, and my brother went to a banquet up in Sav-Mor Plaza in Bloomfield where Dorothy & Leroy's Southern homemade food was at then. Bloomfield high school invited all of the townspeople to come to the banquet and it was free food that year so my mom invited me & my big brother and we all listened to the speakers talk about what is happening in Bloomfield (my mom is the only one fascinated with Bloomfield). Well, not too long after my brother went back to California, I remember taking the ASVAB and I got a score of a 19 at MEPS; the Sergeant told me to come back in 60 days. What do you do when you hear bad news like that? Normally people get discouraged and find reasons not to try again but when you are a Christian you keep on trusting God and say "all delays are not denies." This happened to me I do believe in April of 2009. Well, I had a chance to figure out how I was going to enlist in the military after not scoring to get into the Air Force National Guard. Me & my mom decided to go to the Gospel Fest in Downtown Rockville, CT and if you read my journal about the Gospel Fest that I wrote about in Vernon back in 2004 you would feel like how I feel, that the Gospel Fest should have stayed in Vernon.

Meanwhile, after 60 days were up I remember the Sergeant in the Air Force National Guard referred me to the Sergeant in the Army National Guard to take the ASVAB test. The Sergeant in the Army National Guard had me take a practice test and said I scored a couple of points less than the 31 points on the practice test but felt that I was ready to take the ASVAB test. This test was going to be taken at a hospital in Newington, CT and not at MEPS in Springfield, MA. I remember taking this test and the Sergeant that took me to the hospital to take the test told me I missed a score of a 31 by 4 points. What can you do in that situation? Most people would complain and get discouraged and say "I'm totally done with this." As Christians you can only say what you can say when you tried your best under the circumstances and that being "it was not time for me to be in the military yet." So in July of 2009 I had a chance to reflect on what I needed to do to make changes for me as a person (basically I was trying to work on being a better version of me).  My older brother had been on his job working for the airlines (US Airways) a year then now 6 years. So here was the scenario, my older brother moved from Hartford to the Greater Baltimore Area of Maryland 2 years ago. I decided it was time for me to check out the Army Reserve because I was given the business by 2 Sergeants previously in my failed attempts to enlist in the military. Here is how God worked this out, my brother sent for my mom to watch his kids (my mom's grand kids and my nieces and nephews) in Maryland (The Greater Baltimore Area) in October of 2009 while my brother worked at the Airport.

Meanwhile, my mom's friend Miss Joan the same friend, who used to watch me and my older brother when we were little kids called my mom and me because her license plates & car was stolen and the police in Trumbull, CT told her that the information was reported there. Miss Joan called the Hartford police and the Hartford police let Miss Joan know that everything regarding her stolen car & plates was referred to them by the Trumbull police on Main St. in Trumbull. Anyway, to get over the confusion, Miss Joan needed me to ride with her because she didn't want to go all the way to Trumbull by herself because that is quite a ways away from Hartford and that's understandable. The Hartford Library printed out a map via directions and I rode with Miss Joan so she could straighten out things with the Trumbull police. When we came back from Trumbull, Miss Joan took me to this Jumbo Buffet Restaurant in Copaco in Bloomfield (Asian food). Well, my mom didn't know about me finally enlisting in the Army Reserve until after she discovered it when she came home that I was a soldier and that I got a score of a 37 on the ASVAB after many weeks of preparation. I never wavered from trusting in the Lord and a great Bible verse concerning trials & tribulations on how we should let them help us grow as a person in Romans 5:3-5 simply says, "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation worketh patience: And Patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost." This Bible verse in Romans helped me to be so patient in trials & tribulations and also the fact the Lord helped me to trust him in those rough times now I am just learning to have that same attitude when things are not so rough (keeping the faith in both the good & and not so good times).