11/21/2001 09:46:00 AM|W|P|Jackson|W|P|I was, like a lot of people, at work on September 11. A group of us were huddled around a little portable tv with a 4"x4" screen. We saw the first tower on fire and watched as the second plane hit. One of my co-workers, while walking back to his desk, said something that stuck with me. In a matter-of-fact sort of way, he stated: "We're at war now." At the time, it seemed like a rash conclusion to reach only moments after seeing the planes hit. The buildings were still standing. But as the day went on and the buildings fell, my co-worker's statement began to resonate. We most certainly were at war. And as we now know, those events would lead to the first real war on this new century. As this is being written, the Taliban are trying desperately to avoid being slaughtered in their two remaining strongholds, Kandahar and Kunduz. As I have said, the events of 9-11 changed me deeply. I'd like to think that I am better and stronger now, but in those first few days I had to question a lot of the decisions I have made in my life. I was thinking of moving to a bigger city, did I want to do that now? I was thinking of quitting my job to take a cross-country road trip after graduation, was that safe? Perhaps the most ground-shaking question that I had to ask myself was this: Was I prepared to go and fight for my country? When I was about 16, I started hanging-out with some kids who were putting-together a local activist magazine. I had always considered myself a good writer, so I thought I'd take a couple swings at writing something that would fit in with the theme of the magazine. I was never terribly interested in the majority of the topics they covered, so I ended-up doing a series of essays dealing with some of the trials and tribulations of making the transition from youth to adulthood. The point here is that I spent a lot of time with these people. I heard a lot about Chomsky. I sat in on a couple of ACLU-sponsored workshops on "youth rights". I also absorbed a lot of liberal theories concerning war and government. I didn't spend a lot of time critically analyzing most of what I heard. I was 16, and this was a good opportunity to expose myself to a new kind of viewpoint. Well, apparently I hadn't really thought through my positions well enough. One day, while visiting my dad, the topic of military service came up. I mentioned, without really thinking, that I would rather move to Canada than fight in a war. My dad is ex-Army and is currently a police officer. Based solely on my father's expression upon hearing my statement, I think I can safely say that my statement was the most hurtful thing I have ever said to him. What followed was about an hour's worth of lecturing on the men who have died so that I can enjoy the safety and comfort of my life. Shortly after this incident, I began to seriously reconsider my positions on a number of topics. I drifted away from the activists and began to find that I had much more in common with several new friends, who happened to have a more conservative outlook on life. These new friends were, on average, about ten years older than my activist friends. Whether or not there is a direct correlation is not for me to decide. Perhaps the culminating event in the transition of my views about military service was the day I went to see "Saving Private Ryan" in the theater. I went with a friend, knowing only that there was a pretty gory opening scene and that Tom Hanks was the star. But when my friend and I left the theater, we were unable to speak until we were about a mile down the road. Say what you want about the way Speilberg treated WWII, but the vivid depiction of the human struggle on that beach changed me. I took my dad to see it a week later. In the first couple of weeks after 9-11, the same friend that went with me to see the movie was over at my apartment, discussing all that had happened. Eventually, we got onto the subject of whether or not we would join the military if we got into a war. We both agreed that if the call went out for all able-bodied Americans, we would go. But we also came to the same conclusion that we weren't really suited for military life. I noted that I was a computer programmer on the verge of having a college degree. My friend had his reasons not to join. I reasoned that I was more useful to my country staying at my job, supporting the economy. At the time, this seemed like solid logic. However, as the days went by, I started to think about what I had said. Was I really more valuable to my country doing what I'm doing? Am I really not fit for military life? I began to reconsider my decision. Having plenty of time at work, I began to look into the Army. I began to research what kinds of jobs are available to someone with my training and education. I began to look into what kind of physical requirements I should expect. And then, I spoke with my dad about the Army. I probably can't quite capture the nature of the change that I saw in him that day. He seemed relieved, concerned, happy, serious, excited and proud, all at the same time. He was more than willing to share his experiences in boot camp. Over dinner he told me all about his Drill Instructor and the friends he made while in the service. My interest in this opened a door in our relationship that I never even knew was there, much less closed. The next few days saw my interest grow. Continuous research on the Internet revealed everything from physical requirements to job opportunities to pay. I became very serious about the idea of joining the Army. Last Wednesday I visited my local recruiter. He answered my remaining questions. But more importantly, my visit to his office solidified my decision. It was a physical act that made all of my thoughts and research real. One of the main barriers to my entry into the Army is my physical condition. I am overweight and out of shape. I've been overweight for the better part of my life, and I've been getting worse ever since I landed my first desk job about two years ago. This will be the hardest thing I've ever done. If I can get down to the appropriate weight for my height and get healthy as a part of that process, boot camp will likely be a walk in the park. I've set a goal for myself. I want to be in shape and prepared to enter the Army in six months. I may not be all the way there in six months, but that's my goal, and I'm going to do everything I can to get there. One of the reasons I'm starting this page is to document, if only for myself, the process of preparing myself to serve our country.|W|P|7293892|W|P||W|P|jacksoncooper@gmail.com11/20/2001 02:09:00 PM|W|P|Jackson|W|P|I have created this blog for the same reason I think most people create personal weblogs: boredom. Well, actually it's boredom coupled with a desire to express some of the things which are going on in my head these days. I've got a lot of downtime at work and not much occupying my attention otherwise. So I'm going to spend a little time here on blogger, sharing my perspective on the things going on around me. First, a little on that perspective I'll be sharing: I'm a 22 year-old male living in Louisville, Kentucky. I work as a web developer for a big outsourcing firm. In less than a month, I'll receive my Bachelors of Science in Business Administration with a major in Computer Information Systems from the College of Business at the University of Louisville. There are many things that occupy varying degrees of my attention these days, but number one on that list is definitely our current situation in Afghanistan. I've been a news junkie for years, so these past couple of months have been like a deep, mind-twisting dive into a heroin bender. Bad news, good news and everything in-between; 24 hours a day in every format there is. It's been all-consuming and life-changing for me, as I assume it has been for anyone else who, unlike the folks in Afghanistan, hasn't had their TV buried in the back yard. The country has changed, the world has changed, and I have changed. I can barely even remember the things that I thought were important prior to 9-11. I'll get into my thoughts on all of this later, but that's the important point here. I've got no desire to try and keep up with the fine commentary and worldly expertise offered by people like Ken Layne, Matt Welch or Glenn Reynolds. These guys are the best at what they do, so go read them for the most insightful commentary on the most current events. My goal here is to offer what I think is a unique perspective. Feel free to contact me with any comments or suggestions. Thanks, Jackson Cooper|W|P|7272079|W|P||W|P|jacksoncooper@gmail.com