Personal Narrative: My Life In The Jane World

There was a time when I was doing exactly what I wanted with my life, and then life threw a curveball. I worked at an awesome hair salon, which was number one in the city, and I was on my way to becoming a licensed hair stylist. I had it made. Sometimes it seemed surreal how well things were going and I thought I was blessed to be given the opportunity I was presented. It obviously turned out that it was too good to be true. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, I had to leave that wonderful job and seek employment elsewhere. After a few unpleasant jobs and no more funding for cosmetology school, I felt stuck at a dead end, and decided four years of free travel and paid college was the way to go. One minute I’m living the dream, the next I …show more content…
Joining the military was a rude awakening to say the least; it was like becoming a prisoner that still gets to go shopping with a minimal budget. The transition from the normal world into the G.I. Jane world was swift and painful; instead of being whimsy and happy-go-lucky, I had to be professional, proper, and a prude. It would have just been a slight attitude adjustment for most people, but it was like trying to become a brand new person for me. I knew there would be rules and standards, but I didn’t think they would make me feel like an insect under a magnifying class. The feeling of my youth and freedom being ripped away from me was not only sad; it was completely demoralizing and made for a very disgruntled and resentful sailor. Just about everyone who joins the military goes through the shock phase; most people adjust quickly and get over it, others dwell and take it for granted. I was in the dweller category–for an entire year and half. I hated everything, like having a curfew, marching everywhere, and living in a dump with three other people; most of all though, I hated the job I was training for. I had never really cared for technology and