1) My time on Active Duty really helped me in other aspects of my life. It has made me far more disciplined, far more dependable, and far more adaptable than I ever was before. My boss (and his boss) commented on how I was always early, always did what was asked of me, and was learning very quickly for someone who had never learned on an assembly line. I had to adapt quickly to many roles while at Fort Knox and it has definitely served me well in the 2 years since I left Knox.
2) I am far more determined than I ever thought I was. Don't get me wrong, I've always been stubborn and once I set my mind to something I'm going to get it done, but I never would have thought that I'd be willing to work anywhere from 45-60 hours a week while taking a full time load of college classes like I'm planning on doing in the fall (assuming the VA finally comes through or some other miracle happens). This is on top of my commitments to the Reserves which takes up a large chunk of time in between drill weekends, especially with me now being 2nd in command until the higher ranking guys get back from their mobilization. Being able to take a full load of classes is why I chose night shift though.
3) I am left handed. Yes, I am technically ambidextrous and yes, I write right handed better than I write left handed, but at this point I wonder how I even ended up writing right handed. I reach for tools left handed, I use drills left handed, I use impact wrenches left handed, I even eat and drink left handed. The last one I already knew (Dad used to give me all kinds of crap for that). For that matter, I'm even unsure how I ended up playing golf right handed. Various people in my life in the past have asked me if I were left side dominant and then one of the first things my coworkers asked me after watching me work was, "You're left handed???" I guess I'm a southpaw who happened to be taught how to do most things right handed.
There's more that I've learned but those are the biggies. Now that I've settled into a routine I'll likely start writing more again. Time for this southpaw to get another cup of coffee.
