SEAL

Dedicated to all my teachers who made me suffer through SEAL. You scarred me for life.

Here I am again. Dressed in my PE uniform: white shirt, blue jogging pants, name tag, class number. Amazing Race got their concept from this traumatic excursion imposed on all seniors before we graduate. The most traumatic thing of all is the fact that we are NOT allowed to take a bath and there is BARELY a bathroom. This is more horrifying than starting a fire with two sticks, forgetting how to tie a double half stitch, formation marches, doing sit ups, having your tent collapse on you in the middle of the night.

Here I am again. But this time I know better. I break rank. (Screw my team leader!) I run to a building and find a bathroom but it's so dirty and smelly. I take the stairs and run to the bathroom on the next level. Still dirty. I try all the bathrooms as on each of the lower levels. When I can't go any lower and when I remember that I have a fear of basements, I see a bathroom that looks promising from afar. When I get inside I see horses being slaughtered.

Here I am again. I am being punished for missing in action. To make amends I have to do a hundred pumps. And as soon as I am done with my last pump, I get up and run to another building and get inside a bathroom and take my bath. I stand under the shower and start to cry with relief.

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(When I got back from SEAL 1995, Mama came to school to pick me up. I walked right up to her. She stared at me for what seemed like forever before she gave a little start and finally recognized her daughter underneath the bruises, mire and tears.)