Autohagiography 4

Autohagiography 4


  I graduated from high school in the midst of a recession. I lived in Akron, Ohio. Goodyear, Firestone and other tire companies had been the staple of the economy for decades, ever since the time of the Eerie Canal. For some reason they had decided to move their plants elsewhere. Some said it was an effort to escape the unions, which were very strong there. My father couldn't afford to send me to college and I hadn't made good enough grades to expect any scholarships.

  For a year I competed with unemployed factory workers for the worst of temporary jobs. My father had worked at Goodyear and I thought his connections could get me in there. He got me an interview. I stood in line with 2,000 guys and when I got to the end I was informed there were only 24 openings. Needless to say I didn't get hired. As a last resort I considered trying to get Welfare as some friends had recommended. They laughed me out of the office. On the way back I passed by the Navy Recruiter's office. On a whim I grabbed some brochures. I found that if I spent as little as two years in the Navy the G.I. Bill would pay for my college. At the same time travel in other countries, especially the Orient and Far East seemed extremely appealing. I enlisted.

  I was sent to boot camp and signalman A School in Orlando, Florida. Most recruits, for reasons I couldn't fathom, had put on their dream sheets that they wanted to stay stateside. I wanted to see the world and have some adventures. I requested duty in the Far East and was assigned to the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Midway.

  While stationed on the Midway in Yokosuka, Japan I met my wife, who is Japanese. My two-year enlistment was nearly up, so I re-upped for another three years to stay in Japan and get married. We were married by the ambassador legally at the U.S. Embassy, then in a ceremony at a Shinto shrine in Kamakura, and had it blessed at a Buddhist temple.

I spent a two years on the frigate U.S.S. Knox and two years shore duty at Subase Bangor in the state of Washington. I might have made the Navy a career, but a particularly annoying chief gave me a hard time about visiting my wife in the hospital after the birth of our first son. He asked me to re-up soon after and I told him where he could stick it.

During my time in the military I really hadn't taken much interest in religion. I still retained an interest in the occult, but not enough to actually practice. Essentially I was an agnostic. Besides, while in Washington I had adopted a new religion: Harley Davidson motorcycles. I started out with a Sportster in Washington and upgraded to a Low Rider when I got back to Ohio. My goal was to attend Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland and then transfer into the Graphic Design program at Kent State. While at C.C.C. I had developed an interest in Eastern Religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism. I nearly became a Sikh.