Sergeant Tony's Blog

She was pretty.

Prettier than those she was with.

But I knew she was trouble from the instant I laid eyes on her.

I wanted to meet her, but there were barriers both real and social.

I went through a middle man. He arranged the meeting. I was too chicken to approach her without someone to make the introductions.

I know this is all so superficial. But I’m a man. I didn’t know anything about her dreams or her aspirations. I didn’t know anything about her background. All I knew was that she was pretty.

And I was going through a tough time and I needed some company.

I think she was going through a tough time too. (Our “matchmaker” said as much.) She looked at me in a way that kind of melted my heart. Friendly, but a little reserved. Cautious, I thought. She’d been hurt. She’d had some complicated relationships and I guess she was just feeling me out before she could decide what she thought about me. She needed time and I was prepared to give it to her.

Our relationship was difficult from the beginning, I have to admit. She was, I’m afraid to say this, not very smart. I don’t mean to be cruel. But it’s true. You don’t always know these things right away. But it didn’t take long. It was frustrating. I tried to deny it to myself for a long long time. You know how it is, you always want to think the best. But she was just stupid at times. She was irrational. And sometimes she’d be mean. She apparently didn’t have any interest in the things I wanted to do. I would suggest something to do and she would just look at me as if “I’ was the one who had said something stupid.

She would get angry or scared or something and just disappear … for days. Sometimes we’d be in the middle of something and she’d just walk off. And then later she’d act like nothing was wrong. As if she hadn’t done anything. So confusing. So frustrating.

It still is.

I’m looking at her right now in my backyard chewing on lord knows what.

When I rescued her from the pound, she was on death row. The next day she was to be “put down” as they say. I’d gone there looking for a companion because I was terribly lonely … and a little fragile. It was 2003 and we had just invaded Iraq. My son Matthew was at the “tip of the spear.”

You may recall those days when the war was on television all day and all night. Embedded reporters were giving us an almost real time reporting of the war. And I had a TV on in every room of my house, looking at the flickering images into the wee hours of the night, hoping for even the briefest glimpse of my son.

Just 2 months earlier I’d taken him to the airport to say good bye. I stood in the security line with him and gave him all of the advice I could think of. One Marine to another. A father to a son.

What do you say at a time like that? Nothing had prepared me for it. He wasn’t going off to college. He wasn’t going off to summer camp. He wasn’t taking a trip with friends to Florida. He was going off to war.

He cleared airport security and I stood there behind the velvet rope, trying to be strong and stoic. He reached down and picked up his gear on the other side of the security screening. Threw one bag over his shoulder and picked up the other one. He steadied himself under the weight … took three steps toward the gate and then turned back as he walked away, looked at me … smiled and waved.

And then he was gone.

My boy was gone from my sight, from my ability to protect him. And that might be the last time I would ever see him alive. And that realization was overwhelming.

I sat down on one of those plastic chairs in the airport and lost it.

This Friday, former Staff Sergeant, now 2nd Lieutenant, Matthew Ludlow leaves for Quantico, VA for more training. And in the backyard is that stupid dog I rescued from the pound. Her name is Aki, it’s Japanese for autumn. She doesn’t fetch. She doesn’t care if you throw the frisbee across the yard. She’s not interested in learning anything either. She’s a terrible watch dog.

And she’s joined by Matthew’s dog, Drake, whom I’ve adopted until whenever. (I hope Matthew forgets that I’ve got him. Drake is a GREAT dog!)

There’s just something about a dog.

No matter how many times Aki makes me crazy, no matter how many times she runs off because she heard it thunder, no matter how many times she acts stupid. I will always love her because she sat next to me in the middle of the night while I looked for signs on television that my boy was okay, that he was alive.

Aki is loyal.

I always said that I rescued her … but really, she rescued me.

And for that, she will always have a place in my heart.

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0645 CLASS CALLED TO DUTY!

This is a Monday, Wednesday, Friday class and will follow the same routine as the 0830 class!

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SUMMER SCHOOL SPECIAL

Have a student who’d like to join USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP for the summer? Special discounted program for summer student recruits! Email me for details!

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THESE ECONOMIC TIMES

I try to promote and patronize Boot Campers in their businesses. I am also a member of a business networking group (BNI - Business Networking International) that meets weekly to promote one another’s businesses.

I’ll also include folks looking for a new job or career change.

If you have knowledge of an open position or job opportunity, pass it on and I’ll add it here.

Today’s Big Three are all ladies! :

1. Sherry Irwin (Boot Camper — Job Seeker) is looking for a a part time job for nights and/or weekends. I am a very fast typist (about 85 to 90 words per minute), 10-key by touch (accurate and fast), can do light bookkeeping, lots of experience in customer service, purchasing and inventory control. sherryrwn@yahoo.com

2. Ginny Craig (Boot Camper — Owner of Pageboy Salon) Is seeking stylists either for booth rental or commission. We have two stations available. virginiacraig@rocketmail.com

3. Cindy Pensoneau (Boot Camper — Attorney) I handle family law matters, including but not limited to divorce litigation and mediation, property division, alimony, reconciliation, adoption, antenuptials (pre-nuptials) and domestic partnership agreements, child support and custody matters, collaborative practice, and guardianship/conservatorships. Shea Moskovitz & McGhee since 2004. (Vanderbilt Univ. B.A., Univ. of Memphis J.D.) (901) 821-0044 cpensoneau@sheamoskovitzmcghee.com

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Mount Fuji NEXT Thursday!!

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Next week this newsletter will take on a brand new look! More details with next week’s unveiling!!

Tomorrow … do better.

To your continued good health and fitness,

Tony

Sergeant Major Tony Ludlow
USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP, Commanding
4888 Southern Ave
Memphis, TN 38117
901-644-0145

www.usmcfitnessbootcamp.com

www.shaklee.net/tonyludlow/main