Southern Cross

Noah needed to get away from campus. He needed some time to think. He drove out to a secluded area near the lake, away from the city. It was dark, it was silent, and the perfect setting to collect one's thoughts. Pulling an old blanket out of the pickup, he spread it on the grass and lay down. He loved it out here; no bright lights, no traffic, no music, no people around to spoil his solitude.

The darkness enhanced the countless points of light in the heavens. He had studied the cosmos since learning what it was and frequently escaped the city to visually drink in it's natural beauty. For Noah, stargazing was relaxing and, to him, the ultimate stress reliever.

Out here in the quiet, he initially focused on the sky's natural kaleidoscope of stars, planets, and constellations, taking it all in and feeling comfortably small. Starting with the moon, he challenged himself to identify it's peaks and valleys. From there, he moved on to Sirius, Canopus, and Alpha Centauri.

Concentrating on the sky, he began daydreaming, wishing he was an astronaut flying among this starry playground and escaping his down-to-earth worries. His single mother worked as a nurse during the day and a cashier at night in order to make ends meet, not only for herself, but for his three siblings at home who were still in school. He felt guilty for not being at home working and helping his mother financially. But she was adamant that he pursue a college education and assured him that she could handle any problems that arose. So he begrudgingly obligated himself for thousands of dollars in student loans. He consoled himself with knowing that a college education was well worth it. He had never taken out a loan before, but was confident that he could repay the loan in full when he finished school.

He took a deep breath and let his mind wander among the stars again. "This is so relaxing," he told himself, "too bad I can't get paid to stargaze." He saw a shooting star, which made him smile. He marveled at the immenseness of the universe and thought it a wonder that our big blue marble of a planet existed among all these celestial bodies. Which, in turn, made him wonder if Earth was the only life-sustaining planet. "I'll never know the answer to that before I die," he said aloud to himself.

His mind would not release him from the thought of not helping his mother financially, and he was continually trying to think of ways to lessen her struggle. A part time job, in his mind, would not significantly help. He had already discovered that he didn't need a lot of money to survive and was constantly questioning himself about what kind of occupation would sustain him, as well as allowing him to send money home. At the moment, he had no definite answer.

Gazing intently at the stars always put Noah's mind at ease. So much so that he awoke with a start. "Oh no," he muttered, "I've got to study for tomorrow's physics exam!" He grabbed his blanket, walked to his truck, and threw it in. The short twenty minute drive delivered him back to the university campus.

His roommate Steve was hunched over his computer when Noah came through the door. He looked up and said, "Hey Noah, why the long face? You look like you just lost your best friend."

Noah shrugged. "I don't know, I just feel bad that my mom's working two jobs, supporting herself and my three siblings, and here I am in college not helping her one damn bit. I feel so bad. I need to find a way to send some money home. Either get a part-time job or quit college and go back home."

"Dude," Steve said, "you going back home is not going to help. Your mom will have another mouth to feed and another kid to worry about. Consider this; I've got a brother in the military. He's getting paid, taking college courses, and enjoying life. In fact, he said the military is paying for his college courses as long as he gets good grades, so that may be a possibility you could look in to. You could send money home, go to school, and stop stressing so much."

Noah sat down on his bed. "Ya know, I never considered that. I never thought of myself as a military man, but it would certainly solve a lot of problems for me. Thanks man, I'll check it out tomorrow."

The military recruiters were located in a strip mall about a mile from campus. Noah finished his physics exam and his English literature class the following morning, then visited the recruiters that afternoon. He was surprised when all four recruiters asked him what military specialty he was interested in, since that was not a topic he had given any thought to. After the second recruiter asked, Noah knew the best answer was to inform them of his college major, which was physics. They told him that because he had a number of college credits, he could enter the military at a higher pay grade than others without college. He was very pleased to hear that, knowing that he could start sending money home right away. When he returned to campus, his spirits were much higher than they had been yesterday.

Noah finished his sophomore year in college and went home to see his mother and siblings. He had already decided to "bite the bullet" and become a military man. He had previously taken the military's required vocational test, as well as the entrance physical exam. He still had not signed his name to any document obligating himself to the military. When he told his mother he was seriously considering joining the military, she had mixed emotions.

"Noah, you don't have to do this. I'm doing fine and so are your sisters and brother. You're doing so well in college."

"Mama, I can continue my college classes in the military and they'll even pay for them, which'll save me money. And I can send you money every month and maybe you won't have to work two jobs. Please mama, I've thought about this a lot and it seems to be the best solution for both of us. Mama, all I'm asking for is your blessing."

Mama smiled. "I've always loved a man in uniform and I'll bet you'll be handsome in yours." Noah hugged his mother with a happy heart.

Noah went to the local recruiter. The recruiter verified his vocational test and physical exam, and the following day, he was on a plane headed for boot camp.

Noah breezed through boot camp, as well as the nuclear propulsion schools. He soon found himself on a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. He loved it! The camaraderie with those around him, the work, and the different places he visited was like living a dream. And he was able to send his mother enough money every month that she finally quit her cashier's job at night.

One of Noah's superiors had noticed how diligently he performed any task asked of him. One evening after dinner, he asked Noah to take a walk with him. They went to the front of the ship as it was steaming in the South Pacific and sat down on the starboard catwalk.

"Noah, you are the best worker I've got. I just wanted to give you a head's up that I'm recommending you for an increase in rank because of your dedication to duty. Congratulations Noah, you deserve it!"

Noah leaned his head back and smiled to himself. Gazing at the stars in the dark sky, he thought to himself, "There's nothing more beautiful than these countless points of light in the heavens!"