If I could go back and slap my 16 yo self about a bit, I'd tell her to join the Army (I'm too claustrophobic for the Navy).
It just wasn't the done thing for girls back then - you had to be pretty determined and willing to put up with negative attitude. It crossed my mind a couple of times between 16-18, but it wasn't a strong enough desire to really make me go for it.
I think I would have ended up with much more confidence in myself, more discipline and maybe even managed to avoid depression. Although saying that, I might also have found myself bewildered in a civilian world after my term was over and sunk into alcoholism and suicide...
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