"The Few, the Proud, the Ma-" Nahhhh

I have been doing some serious thinking on what i want to do with my life in the years ahead after high school. I recently spoke with a friend of mine Joshua Adam who told me of his plan of getting his Bachelor's and going to teach English in Japan for a year. He told me about it and apparently you don't have to know a lick of Japanese, they pay for you airfare, and it is a paying job when you do get to Japan. I thought to myself "WOW!" It just sounds to amazing. I can get my bachelor's in anything, and I was considering in going into the field of teaching Music History or jazz studies anyway so I was going to need a bachelor's of some sort. I can use that and go teach in Japan for a year getting possibly the greatest experience/adventure of a lifetime, all the while getting paid. How could it get better???
The next day I get home from school, rush through my homework, and fell asleep for a nap before I had to go to Community Band. Next thing I know my mom comes into my bedroom waking up a good 20 minutes before I needed to get up >:-O. She tells me I have a phone call. I say "What?! I'm trying to sleep!" She says "it's for you" I say "Yeah? Who the hell wants to call me on your home phone???" She says "It's the marines." I immediately shot out of bed smacked my face awake and commenced a 20 minute conversation with a Staff Sergeant.
He some how was able to talk me into meeting with him the next day for a meeting to ask questions about Marine Band. I was actually sort of stoked. No fighting, just playing music at a professional level, and they provide the expenses of the instruments and such! That on top of all the great benefits that come with being in the military (dental, 20 year retirement, etc.) I was super excited. So I come into Band the next day and I see a guy in a marine uniform. I KNEW that was the guy that called me. Sure enough he came up to me asked my name, and was like "I talked to you on the phone last night!" haha okay... creepy???? At this point there was no backing out of the meeting though. So I get there 30 minutes early catching him unawares, not in uniform... and smoking.... Yuck. That was the first turn off. Because that meant I was most likely going to be around a lot of smokers being in the marines. So I get inside, and first thing he says to me "You need to take a test" I'm like "Umm what about all my questions?" He's like "Well we need you to take this test before you answer any questions just so we know you are mentally prepared." So I was thinking well dammit! I have a ton of homework, I'm sleep deprived, and I just go out of school! What makes him think I want to take a stupid test??? But what I said was "Okay sure"
I finish the test (which was timed) in about 20 minutes I guess. I made a 54/99 which apparently was really good and he told me anything above a 50 was in good shape so I said great! Finally I get to ask my questions (I had written a list of questions out like he had told me the night before). But he says "Alright well I'm gonna tell you just about the Marines first, then you can ask questions, THEN we can talk about Marine Band." So I say okayyyyyyy. After some talking he hands me some "tags" that have different values written on them such as "virtue, discipline, financial security, travel/adventure... etc" he told me to organize them from wanting to achieve the most/sooner to the least/later in life. So then I finish organizing them and he starts talking me through the top 4 of mine (Financial security, travel and adventure, educational opportunities, and technical preparation) we get through the first one. YAY! sounding good so far! Then we get partway through the adventure/travel one and how I could be stationed in Japan if I wanted and guard the embassy. So I said "all I want to do is play my instrument, I didn't think I'd be involved in any combat. It actually against my religion to participate in any sort of combat war related, we do not believe in war." So he says "well, whaddya mean?" SO I say "I mean I do not wish to ever participate in ANY combat." Then everyone (all the sergeants) went quiet and all sort of looked at me in a look of surprise and perhaps some disgust. And one says very sternly "Do you consider yourself a conscientious objector?" I was like "I am not totally sure what that means." He says "Well if someone was pointing a gun at you or your marine friend, and you had to ability to kill him first, would you?" And I was like "Well yeah of course! I'm not one to just not fight for my life or my friends. But that doesn't by any means make me wish to participate in warfare, I do not want a part of that, those are my beliefs, and if those beliefs make me a "conscientious objector" then I guess I am not fit for duty." They told me sorry for the time, and not having asked it earlier, they all shook my hand, and had me on my way.
I got into my car, and actually started laughing, I started laughing... Hysterically! For no particular reason! I think it may have had something to do with my being relieved that the armed forces do not want me that I would be considered a "liability". It made me realize how much more appealing Japan was, and how much hell of a "righter" it seemed for me. The thought of going to Japan to teach just makes me feel so much better inside, and actually happy, and I just came to an overall realization that the armed forces are not for me, and won't ever be, and if that makes me a "Conscientious Objector" then by God so be it! I want to go to Japan with my friend Joshua Adam, and as of right now I REALLY want to, more than ever!!! The Few, the Proud, the Conscientious Objectors...