Wingman

I used to think I was strong enough to handle things on my own. I used to think I could deal with all my issues and emotions on my own. I didn't need to burden my friends with asking them for help.  I never used to ask for help.

But this year I have learned and started to recognize how awesome it is when you have someone out there to watch your back. 

One of the first examples of it, that I really noticed was during my littlest brother's wrestling tournament.  Vic and Brian have been best friends since they were in first grade together.  They play football and wrestle together for our high school.  They take care of each other. If you've ever been to a wrestling tournament with a dozen different schools, with at least 4 mats for matches, you know how chaotic the atmosphere is.  Yet through it all, Vic and Brian have each other's back.  Vic will stand behind the coaches and watch Brian's matches.  He will grab Brian's iPod, Gatorade, and shirt that he threw down before the match started and bring it to him.  Brian does the same thing for him. It has always been like that between the two of them during wrestling season.  They are the only two on the team that I see do this so diligently.  They are attuned to each other's needs.

I experienced it for myself when I was at Basic Training.  D'Aprile was my bunk mate and from the very first day we were starting to watch each other's backs. Honestly, at BMT two heads and eyes were better than one. You got your stuff together more efficiently. You got in trouble less because you and your stuff was squared away.  This was most closely seen when our first locker inspection occurred and both of us received demerits for the same way we rolled our tan t-shirts. There was no way I was going to let her fall, and she wasn't going to let me.

I think it's important to have one person in your life that is your Wingman, battle buddy. Even though you don't use them all the time and for every crisis, you know that if you need them, they have your back. It's an inexplicable bond that you can't fully understand until it happens to you.  In a way, I think they come into your life when you are in desperate need of them.  And once they are in your life, they won't ever leave.