Sept 9th, 2001. Me and Lakeville's Homecoming King (Drexel Johnson) had just finished the final line of questioning with the Army. I would have been a linguist, almost assuredly learning Arabic in the coming months. At the time though, Ritalin use was considered an illegal substance and unknowingly I disclosed the prescription of it that I had throughout my adolescence and was disqualified on the spot. 2 days later the world changed forever. I've never publicly shared this story before. I've often wondered what my life would have been like if I concealed that one simple fact. Would I have been okay telling a lie? Either way, it seemed far too coincidental that God simply had other plans for me and I made peace with that. The friends and mentors of mine who went on to serve have become some of the best people I've ever known. I don't tag them here out of respect because that's not the point, but I've always carried a deep reverence for those that served even if that wasn't a path ...