Communication That Doesn't Work.

     My personal communication style, is honest, straightforward, and generally literal. We encounter many style of communication throughout our travels, some wanting to make us rip our hear out, and some that are like ours therefore we understand them well. Of course, sometimes, even when it's like ours, we hate it, and we never wonder why other people dislike our own way of communicating. It's seldom I meet someone who is as straightforward and honest about things as I am. I've grown up in a passive aggressive home, and while I can be also, I had an "Aha Moment" in realizing that's why we fight every time we are under the same roof. A second frustration causer for us, is my "get it done" attitude, verses the "I can do it later" attitude. A third.... I'm basic, and a bare-minimums kind of girl, unlike the rest of my family. I'm totally comfortable with my life the way it is, as I find myself to be not much different than most people my age.
     These specific communication bumps haven't been obvious to me in the past. I knew we clashed, yet still loved each other, but I couldn't put my finger on what the exact irritant was. Someone told me yesterday - don't react, trust me, you're better than that. And for her, I'm going to try to honor just that statement. While passive aggressive isn't right, and it's ineffective, I have a choice to take the high road in those moments. I can't say I know entirely what that is, but I now know how it feels to those I've been passive aggressive to and it irritated them a fair amount.
     In two weeks I fly back to my home, I start school, and I start my enlistment. This semester in school, I'm taking geography, and a lower level criminal justice class. I've always had this thought, that the more knowledge you can and choose to acquire about everything possible - careers, systems, strategies, thought patters - the smarter you are in general. Being amazing at computer science, doesn't make you smart. It makes you good at one thing, but only one thing. What about being able to answer questions in areas other than your own, or having the knowledge to be proficient in many things. That, I find to be very impressive, and wise. While it won't matter when you're gone how much you knew, I feel one's life is much richer when lived in knowledge and learning.
     I'm not really into law to be honest, and though I don't have a desire to do Criminal Justice, or Legal Studies, I know when I am in the middle of it and I come out the other side, I will be very satisfied that my knowledge base is much broader than it was before or than it would've been on my former major choice.
     As previously mentioned, I swear in the 11, which is the same date I find out where I go for basic, and when I go. Christmas this year whispered a hint of support from my parents in what I'm about to do. I received a Baby G (G shock) watch, an evidently common military used watch (I would've guessed Garmin), gift certificates for my packing list and to buy more of the books I've been engulfing. This process has been long, intense, and tiring. When I would usually be bored with a vacation like this, I've been googling any down time I have, to wipe away fears caused by the unknown. The fear is dissipating, yet I know a healthy fear keeps away the shock of things that were unexpected. Confusing statement, but true.