a letter

In elementary school we always learned that a "friendly letter" has three parts: a greeting, a body, and a closing. Generally, though, the writer knows the recipient of a "friendly letter." In this case the problem of not knowing the recipient is presented. So how do I write my greeting? And without a greeting, how do I write a letter?

I'm supposed to be writing a draft of a paper for my 2nd semester college English class, which I'm taking in place of 2nd semester senior English. My thought process on writing is getting technical. Maybe for a letter I should just write...So here it goes.

Hello,

My name is Anne. I'm 18 and I graduate from high school in five weeks. I've kind of mentally checked out already so the fact that I have a paper to write for English is causing a bit of a struggle. But I have to get through and graduate because I'm going to the University of Arizona in August. I'm going to major in English and Italian, because I went to Italy over my winter break with the school marching band and fell in love, so I want to go back and teach English there someday.

We had a Marine recruiter come in and talk to our band class today. She emphasized that she wasn't technically a recruiter, and that she didn't like recruiters, but that was what she was doing. She told us about music opportunities in the Marines, but about half the class is seniors so we know for the most part what we're doing...and it's not going into the Marines.

I wish I had the determination and dedication it takes to join the military - but even if I did, my brother is in the National Guard and has forbidden me from joining the military. He's in the 108th Army Band as a 42R - a drummer. I think one of the most difficult summers of my life thus far was the one when he went to Basic Combat Training. I never realized how dependent I was on my big brother until he was gone for 12 weeks. He came back a different person, but it was a good change. I just remember writing him a bunch of letters, and how much he loved getting them, even though he couldn't respond most of the time.

My life is getting a little hectic these days. 35 days until graduation, but I still have to get through the State Jazz Festival (which is Friday), Market Day (on the 9th of May, where all the senior econ classes try and sell stuff to the rest of the school), the final band concert, the last paper for English, one more unit in government class, and graduation itself. I'm not going to Prom, mostly because of a lot of stupid drama (my best friend wasn't talking to me for several weeks) but also because my other older brother and his fiance are having a graduation/engagement party that same night and family is more important to me.

In addition to the State Jazz Festival on Friday, I have to go to a funeral for a guy I knew that graduated last year. It's an odd feeling, to know someone that's died, especially when they were only a year older than you. Scott was a band kid, like me, and it runs in his family, like it does in mine. My school has had a lot of kids die over the years, but generally when they die after graduation I don't hear about it...but Scott was different. No band kids have died in the 14 years my school has been open, even though some have had family members die or have gone through major health issues. And it's kind of frustrating that he died from a freak allergic reaction. Needless to say I've been a bit depressed this week.

I hope you get these blog posts when you come back from boot camp. There are so many people who would love to write to you now, but can't, so this is the next best thing.

-Anne

And now to that English paper...fortunately it's only a draft.