I LIVED IN HAWAII ON THE MARINE CORPS BASE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WITH MY OLDER BROTHER. WHILE LIVING THERE I MADE A FEW FRIENDS WHILE HANGING OUT AT THE "E-CLUB". THERE WAS THIS ONE GUY THAT I THOUGHT WAS VERY ATTRACTIVE. MY FRIENDS TOLD ME THAT HE WAS A "PLAYER" AND ADVISED ME TO JUST STAY FRIENDS WITH HIM. THIS GUY LEARNED WHERE I WORKED  AND WOULD VISIT EVERYDAY DURING HIS LUNCH BREAK. I DONT THINK A DAY WENT BY THAT HE DIDNT MAKE ME SMILE OR LAUGH. HE ASKED ME OUT A FEW TIMES BUT I ALWAYS SAID NO BECAUSE OF THE WARNINGS FROM FRIENDS. ONCE I DID FIND OUT THAT HE WAS A GOOD GUY I WAS ALREADY DATING SOMEONE. THE DAY I LEFT HAWAII TO RETURN TO MY HOME STATE I SAID GOOD BYE TO HIM AND OTHERS FROM 7 UNITS THAT WERE BEING SENT TO AFGHANISTAN. IT WAS A SAD DAY FOR ME. I KNEW I WOULD NEVER SEE THESE GUYS AGAIN BECAUSE I WAS LEAVING THE ISLAND AS WELL. NEVER IN MY MIND DID I THINK THAT ANY OF MY FRIENDS WOULD GET KILLED. I ESPECIALLY DIDNT THINK IT WOULD HAPPEN TO HIM. I ASSUMED THEY WOULD ALL BE SAFE....

 

TEN MONTHS AFTER I SAID GOOD BYE I RECEIVED AN E-MAIL FROM A FRIEND IN HAWAII EXPLAINING THAT MY CRUSH HAD BEEN KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN. HIS HUMVEE HIT A ROAD SIDE BOMB. HE DIED ON HIS WAY TO THE HOSPITAL IN GERMANY.

 

I THINK ABOUT THIS GUY OFTEN. WONDERING WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF I WOULD HAVE TAKEN HIM UP ON THE OFFER FOR A DATE WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE. NOW I WILL NEVER HAVE THAT CHANCE.