<p>So I’ve tried hard at school my entire life. Somehow I (like a lot of people here, I’m sure) got it in my head that I need to try hard in school, so I did. Now after years of stressing and studying my entire life is culminating into college. Not the best college but a good one none the less, one worth the effort. </p>
<p>My twin, however, was the complete opposite. He never cared and just wanted to hang out with friends. He’s not stupid, he just never cared for school. But eventually he must have realized that life was about to hit him and he needed something to do. So, now he’s joining the marines.</p>
<p>What I don’t get is that, when comparing our lives, people respect my brother’s choices so much more. They see him as a great patriot serving his country, even though he knows that is not why he joined. Meanwhile, I get the quick congratulations from the same people who then go on to endlessly question my brother about the marines. After all my effort, people respect the rash decision maker who admits he is doing it only because he doesn’t know what else to do. Almost makes me want to throw away all my work and just join the military myself.</p>
<p>I agree with the regional thing. The military rarely gets kids from my high school. Our senior class is 300-400 and it’s been probably 10 years since someone joined the army. It’s not frowned upon, but college is seen as the most desirable course of action. </p>
<p>The military gets respect because the people involved are risking their lives for the country. Whether for right reasons or not, that’s what they’ve signed up to do. Your brother may be in the military because he didn’t have an option, but if he’s called upon to fight in a war then his life will be on the line. College is not nearly as life-threatening. I don’t think he should have more respect, but that’s probably the perspective that those around you have.</p>
<p>It must be a regional thing. Here in New England everyone envys the kid who got into Yale, not the kid who joined the army. About three kid in the past 4 years at my school (classes are about 190 kids per year) has joined the army.</p>
<p>Military deserves a certain amount of respect. He’s giving up his independence for years, possibly risking his life. But, people are giving him a different kind of respect than they’re giving you, not more. They respect you because you worked hard in school, and are going to a good college because of it. They respect him because while you’ll be partying, getting drunk, sleeping in, studying, travelling, etc in college, he’ll be waking up at dawn, working his ass off, making no choices for himself, getting screamed at every minute, etc. It’s just different, and they probably focus more on him because there are much less people who choose the military than who go to college from your high school.</p>