So a couple of days ago I was going over my past blogs and I noticed something important. I mentioned on several occasions that I can't wait to show this person and that school my IDF uniform, and I want to set the record straight.
For those of you who know me, I used to be a huge pacifist. I still strongly believe in the power of peace and the beauty of it. But, sadly, we do not live in a world that is filled with peace. And now I live in a country that is in a perpetual state of war. In order to ensure that civilians can at least go about their days and sleep soundly at night, it is imperative to keep a constant flow of able bodied soldiers to protect our borders and cities. I firmly believe that every person currently serving in the IDF has an important job. Sometimes it might be boring, and many have desk jobs with mundane assignments. But in the end, everything is dependent on each other. From accounting to counseling, parachute folders to pilots, everything counts. When I serve, I want to represent the State of Israel as much as possible. I want to show that a random girl from Nashville can do whatever job I end up with, and do it well. It's less about, "ooh look at my badass uniform" and more about the way people perceive a soldier in uniform. If I do become a paramedic, I want my high school biology teacher to be able to see with her own eyes the medic pin. I want kids from Akiva to look at me and say, "I want to help Israel, too." I want my family to see the beret I earned at a ceremony they might have missed.
It's not about the uniform itself. It's about what it represents, that I earned it and that I want to protect Israel and what it stands for. And as I might not even be allowed to take my uniform to Nashville, then I will still have with me the ideals that come with being an ambassador to Israel. I will have stories, photos, and more. I want to spread among all the people I know a taste of what it's like to be proud of Israel through being proud of me.
And yes, I have all these great plans of medical corps, maybe navy or first response teams or whatever, but in the end, no matter what my job is or where, I will still be serving Israel and doing something to contribute to its survival. And that's the most important thing of all.
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