As you look at people's lives, you see different people having different struggles, whether it's financial, parental, loneliness, and many others. I don't believe in the perfect life. I have not yet heard a story about a person who didn't have their difficulties. I've had my share of difficulties too, and one very recent one relates very much to the story of Richard Rodriguez. Maybe not literally as in the exact same thing, but as you look at my story, you will see that it is quite similar.
             My father is a businessman. He has his own company and works long hours everyday to earn money, and to achieve his career goals. Ever since I was a boy, he has always imagined me a president of a multi national corporation. I've always gone to great schools. He was always on my tail to see me progress. That is all good, but I didn't see myself doing what he wanted me to do, at least not yet. I've always wanted to be different, and experience different things. Thus when I was a senior in high school, an Army recruiter came to me, and asked me if I was interested in the military. I was very interested, and so I took the brochures home and was thinking very hard about it. A couple of months went by, and I decided I wanted to do it. I told my father that I was joining the U.S. Army, and I wanted to do Infantry. Well, all hell broke loose. My father and mother were so disappointed in me. They've always supported the military, but they never thought of their son actually doing that. To them that was completely insane. I told them I wanted to do it, and that was final. In May 2002, I shipped out to Ft. Benning for basic training, and infantry school. Those were the hardest 4 months of my life. It was all new to me, but as time went on, I found out that I was very good at being a soldier.
             My story is directly related to Richard Rodriguez's story.
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