It started simply enough with a note card. The U.S. Army recruiter asked me if I would like information about the army. I bit the bait, figuring that information can't hurt-the more you know the better. If I had known what I was getting myself into I would have never even talked to him. I signed away on the card and asked if I would be receiving anything in the mail soon. "Yes, you will," he replied, that was the end of the conversation.

I was showered with pounds of information on all branches of service within weeks. I liked this because it was pressure free. I quickly decided that the armed forces weren't for me, and lost interest.

In the first week of April I was paid a visit at my home by the Marines. They knocked and knocked until they were sure they wouldn't get an answer. Realizing I wasn't going to answer, they lodged a business card in my door frame and marched off. My mother told me who had come and I was not to call them back. A week later I received a phone call from the Marines. I didn't answer, but my mother did. After understanding what she was dealing with, she ended the small talk and hung up.

After that phone call, I realized that this could be a problem. I was right, because to this day I still get the occasional ring from the military. I don't plan on answering that call anytime soon. At face value the service seems challenging and outgoing. I wanted to be highly trained and have a government job that supports my country. I also understood the danger of warfare and the glory of victory. Even now, I still would like to feel and experience battle along with other U.S. soldiers.

I think I would enjoy going tooth and nail against enemies just for the sake of competition. All of these thoughts are outweighed by the risk of an untimely death and a distraught family. I know I am not the only one who feels this way. I realized that now is just not the time to join the military, because there are so many other options right now. If enlisting is a decision you are thinking about, then discuss your thoughts with your friends, teachers and/or your family before you make a choice that could ruin your life. These recruiters are out to get anyone, and being in high school makes you an apple ripe for picking.