David Zimmerman

English 211

11 January 2020

Returning Home

Going home after attending Boot Camp and “A” school sounds easy. But everything changed. In
a few short months everything had become a lot smaller in that small town in Nebraska. Things had not
physically shrunk but after four months in Chicago and Milwaukee, everything seemed smaller. No high
rises, no crowded streets, no traffic lights every block. Not even one traffic light.

The people were the same but different. Some of my classmates from the Class of 1983 had
gone off to college. Some had gotten married. Some had moved away. Maybe they hadn’t changed as
much as I had.

I had grown physically, emotionally and physiologically. I now walk with my head up not
intimidated by anyone. I was now a respected Third Class Petty Officer in the United States Navy. I had
developed confidence and learned how to lead people instead of being a follower.

Maybe it is true that you can never go home. The body may return to a place, but the
experience one lives through ensures the same person doesn’t return.