jason and i used to play this game as kids when we were supposed to be going to sleep. we would pretend to be fighter pilots and argue over who got to be "sarge". if you know our family, "sarge" was the call-sign my dad received in the navy, years ago. whoever won the nightly argument got to be sarge and whoever lost had to be "skipper". we called it "sarge and skipper" for obvious reasons. so then we would pretend to fly jet fighters and i really can't remember much more than that. it's funny how memories from childhood remain with you, as if they occurred yesterday.
jason is in most of my childhood memories. we were great friends growing up and remain to this day. as long as i don't say anything dumb. haha. dumb people drive him nuts. people who say dumb things drive him nuts. it's really quite humorous.
jason is very organized. everything on and in his desk has a place and he knows if anything is out of it's place. it's kind of funny to mess with him and move things around. he's also a researcher. he'll research something for days before purchasing it-just to ensure he's getting exactly what he wants.
jason is what i like to call the "smart one" of the family (no offense, ryan)..a math genius, graduated with a degree in aerospace engineering. while his fellow classmates are off making gazillions of dollars, he chose something a little different...
my parents have this photo of jason when he was about 9 or 10, wearing my dad's flight suit (painted on mustache and all). for as long as i can remember, he's wanted to follow in dad's footsteps and be a fighter pilot. welcome to a world where dreams come true. he's graduating from f-16 training at luke afb in may. oh yeah, he flies this:
in fact, that IS him flying. over the christmas holidays, we got to stand at the end of the flight line and watch as jason took off. he somehow shmoozed someone and got ryan a flight in one as well. although i was quite jealous, it was the coolest thing i've ever seen. it actually chokes me up as i write this. let me tell you what it's like to see your little brother doing THIS for a living. it's one thing to have your dad doing it, but quite a different feeling when it's a sib. wow, he's amazing. so he gave up racking in the big bucks to serve our country. i mean really, what tops that in this society, these days?
jason is off to korea on a year tour later this year. i will miss him terribly, but am excited for this great opportunity he has. some spectacular flying i hear...so he'll go while his FIANCE waits back in the states. yep, that's right. not only is my little brother a fighter pilot, but he recently got engaged! very exciting and i couldn't be happier for the two of them.
so life's changing once again. i can't tell you how much i miss you everyday. i wish we could, for just a day, go back to being kids and playing "sarge and skipper". i miss those times, but each memory i hold dear to my heart. you and ryan never cease to amaze me and i am honored to not only know you, but to be your sister.
you mean the world to me and i love you. happy 26th birthday, jas...even if it's a couple weeks late. :)
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