Writing for Ranger School

The first thing B. told me was to cheer him up. He told me how much my letters meant to him at LDAC, and how happy they made him -- then, how terrified. See, when I didn't hear from him for a few weeks, I started flipping out. This was our first separation where we didn't talk, and I was convinced that something was wrong. Other woman replaced me, wild Manbearpig ate him, he decided that the whole "dating Courtney" thing wasn't for him... yeah, hello, I'm a drama queen.

And most embarrassing of all, I let it show in my letters. I can't remember specifics, but basically I wanted to know why he hadn't written. Then, I got all his letters within a span of three days, and they went from "I miss you" to "Are you not getting my letters?! I'm really worried by your tone!" Yeah. Worst girlfriend in the world >>right here<<.

So, I'll state the most overtly simple lesson: Keep it positive. Even the smallest negative can take your guy's head out of the game, and that is not what needs to happen in this stage of his training. He needs to know/think everything is just peaches and cream without him, and you're thriving. Don't lie, but don't take up a paragraph telling him about that douche of a maintenance man who was 4 hours late and tracked mud throughout your house.

Next: the elements. I read this on another blog, which I'll post at the end, but the men are not given weather forecasts. So when they're out there sleeping in their hooches, they wake up and are just as surprised by the weather as the cavemen were. SEND THEM THE WEATHER FORECAST! Because I have no idea when mail call is, I sent the 10 day forecast in my last letter. I'm planning on doing the 15 day forecast with each envelope I mail out, in the hopes that he'll get the most current one and get some use out of it.

 News: Again, send them the good stuff. Their presidential candidate is ahead in the polls, the stock market doing well, even the Sunday funnies if they're into that. B told me that I was his break from Army, his way of "checking out" and leaving work -- that's difficult enough to do via text message or over the phone, but to do it through letters? Very, very difficult.


And finally -- for you. Stay BUSY. I work 40 hours as an IT consultant, then I tutor ACT/SAT/English/Homework/Organizational skills for local kids who need it. Then I work out. Then I go home. There was one Friday last week where I wasn't busy -- worst day in a very, very long time. I went to my mother's house and moped around. Resist the urge to submerge yourself in everything regarding Ranger School. I watched "Surviving the Cut: Ranger School" on Netflix, and read through a Ranger's journal online within 24 hours. I was lost in it. Maintain your own life. Maintain your own life. Maintain your own life.


And, with a little luck and a little hope, those 62 days will not be lengthened by recycling, and they will fly by.