Joining the Army: An 18 Year Old and His Mom

When an 18 year old began to consider joining the army, his mom forgot her aggravation at his piles of dirty clothes, fights with a younger brother, and stench of Axe. She longed to keep him safe at home.

The card was sitting on my desk, along with my son’s bus pass and some loose change. His toothbrush lay nearby, white toothpaste residue encircling the head of the toothbrush like a halo. I’d have missed the business card except for the large letters, “ARMY,” marching across the card, the r...