Here We Go

A few days back Blacksono got his first call up to the Israel Defense Forces. He got one last year but he was still too young to go to the initial interview so we sent in the papers for a postponement. Of course, they lost these and four faxes later his status is now where it should be, awaiting his preliminary induction. But, like death and taxes, there is no avoiding the army here in Israel. His initial interview is at 7:30am Dec 10th. This is just to set his "profile". He would only enlist at the end of 12th grade (more than a year and a half away), but once the machine starts rolling, there's no stopping it.

All this is rather terrifying for us, his parents. As is well known, blackwifeo did the army. She learned to cook for a platoon. She can strip an M16 and sleeps well in a tent. But, luckily for her the closest her outpost came to bloodshed was the night the animals in their petting zoo were slaughtered (but that's her story to tell). I don't understand the Israeli army. I don't want to. From the stories of the squints, its not all that logical. No, not even a bit. I worry deeply about Blacksono with his thin legs, gentle spirit and kind heart.

This week we have been collecting papers together to send in for his "file". You need to get all the medical info into them three weeks before his interview. Its all rather nerve-wracking and leaves me ill-at-ease. On one hand I think that three years in the army, well spent, could be a benefit to him. On the other, what will we do if he ends up in some dead end job (or worse still, manning some checkpoint).

Living in Israel has its ups and downs. This army thing is not something I ever really wanted to worry about. But, I suppose, you live in a country, you play by its rules. You are sure to hear a whole lot more about this in the coming weeks.