Curving the Bullet

Do you think in OCS they teach you how to curve the bullet?

Who knows. That might be a useful skill though. Although, I'm not sure if that can be done easily with an M16.

The weekend is almost over. I have to report in tomorrow at about 1. After that, it's on to another week of wine and roses. At the first opportunity yesterday, I picked up the book "Once An Eagle" by Anton Myrer. This is the book that is required reading for our platoon. The book report on it will be due on January 5th. I was quite shocked to find that the book is 1228 pages. Not exactly a lot of time available to read this sucker. I spent a few hours last night and a few hours this morning reading the huge novel. Let me tell you, it's no easy read. It's overloaded with over descriptive prose and a non-linear yet overly simple story. I bet if you used traditional linear prose, this book would be about 100 pages long. I have already read 200 pages in it and it has gone absolutely nowhere. The author (God rest his soul, Anton Myrer is known to be a renowned military writer) spends a great deal of time (and pages) describing irrelevant objects and scenery. For example, in one scene, the main character is sitting on a porch with a girl overlooking a meadow. The conversation they are having revolves around what he sees his future to be. The conversation, essential to the story, takes only a few pages. However, the author spends pages and pages describing the meadow, the porch, the front yard, and even the house. It's infuriating to read and it's not the type of book I would ever read on my own. Finishing it and forcing myself to read it has already been painful. Funny thing is, I'm a huge reader. I read all the time, but this book has not interested me at all. I may murder it in my book report. It is also full of these little preachy elements about the duty and honor of an Army officer. It kind of reads like the Bible in some ways. Just passages about how to be good. Either way, I think this is just another OCS game of how much we really want that LT bar and I will go through the motions.

I have mixed feelings about going back tomorrow. I have enjoyed the freedom and the relaxation very much. Not only that, I've been able to talk to Susie every day for long periods of time and I've been able to navigate my own schedule. Returning to prison will not be pleasant. On the other hand, the sooner I get back there, the sooner this whole thing will tick by to the end. At the conclusion of week 5, I will grab a plane back to Killeen and spend Christmas with my two favorite ladies. Anywho, this is me signing off for now. Not sure when I'll be able to write again.

-BOC Sharp