Since I was just a baby I have been attached to the television show M*A*S*H. I was not a horrible child but I would cry at night and my dad would rock me until I fell asleep. My dad would cradle me in his arms, pull up the rocking chair and turn on the TV to M*A*S*H. I would quiet down when the opening credits started. (You know the one with the two helicopters.) And I wouldn't completely fall asleep until I heard the ending credits, by then I was out like a light bulb. To this day, it is always soothing to me to hear choppers whirring and the tune of "Suicide is Painless" playing.
Now some may say that I have become obsessed with M*A*S*H, and who ever says that is not lying. But not only is it an obsession, it has become apart of me and who I am. Sure it's fun to show off my collages, my trivia book, my Martinis and Medicine collection, all of my seasons in the box sets, my computer backgrounds, my M*A*S*H over the shoulder bag and everything else related to M*A*S*H that I've collected or made; but what really means the most to me is my personal connections to each of the characters. I have found that in some way or another I act, feel or say things just like every one of the doctors and nurses...
Captain 'Hawkeye' Peirce: Like him, I hate war. I hate that fact that brothers, sons, fathers, friends and neighbors fight against each other. Sure, I love to learn the history of wars that are past but in reality, fighting is senseless. More peace, Less war. Hawkeye, never discriminates because of race, gender or religion or whatever. I believe that a person is a person and they should be treated as a valued human being. Also I'm like Hawkeye because I love to tell corny jokes or funny quips. Sometimes my defence against stress is to goof off, and sometimes it can get me into trouble. :D
Captain 'Trapper' John McIntyre: Trapper is also a joker and he's there to help Hawkeye with his pranks on Frank. Unfortunately, Trapper's short role within the TV series was to play the sidekick of Hawkeye, but he did a great job at it. I have noticed when someone is on a roll I can't help but jump in and add some of my own jokes or help with practical jokes. I don't mind being a sidekick sometimes.
Captain B.J. Hunnicutt: B.J. is the all time family man. He cares so much for his wife and child that he makes decisions to stay faithful to them the best he can. He also is a silent prankster. He will pull a prank on someone and sit back and act like he knows nothing. I love my family. I want to be able to be with them for eternity. When I'm away from my family I miss them very much. I don't have a husband yet but I want to be faithful to him right now as much as I can. And again, I'm a joker. I love a good prank. (Especially on my mom :D)
Colonel Henry Blake: Henry is silly and goofy. He is always mixing up his words and phrases and just goofs off. BUT, when it comes down to making a decision he makes it with his heart. His patients come first and he genuinely cares about the people he works with. I like to be silly and goofy too, but I can tell when I need to be serious and I love my friends and family very much and I want to make the best decisions to help them.
Colonel Sherman T. Potter: Col. Potter is also a great family man. He knows how to take authority but not over-do it. He gives commands but he also knows when to relax the reigns. Throughout the series he becomes kind of a father figure for everyone in the camp but he also keeps a great bond of friendship with everyone. I'm going to become a teacher someday and I feel that I can be authoritative and bold but also know when to have fun. I love being in a presidency in my church calling because I love to be able to look over people and be able to take care of them. I love my friendships and I want to keep them close.
Corporal 'Radar' O'Reilly: Radar can sense things before they happen. He knows what others are going to say or do. He's the company clerk and he can keep everything in order and working well, although it may be in his own system, he gets the job done. He is also an animal lover. He has Guinea pigs, rabbits and even skunks. Also, Radar is very modest. He sort of innocent and he hates to be naked in front of others. Unlike Radar, I can't always tell what someone is thinking or going to do next. I do, however, like to stay organized in my own little way. I get in and get the job done. I also love animals. I have had many pets in the past and I would like to be able to have a home with a yard big enough to have pets for my kids to play with. Like Radar, I am very modest as well. I always have on two or more shirts and long pants no matter if its 10 degrees outside or 100 degrees. :D
Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger: Klinger, Klinger... where do I start? Klinger wants to get out of the army so badly that he wants to be declared crazy and released with a Section 8. He tries to accomplish this by dressing in women's clothes. Well, throughout the series Klinger keeps trying but once he becomes company clerk he has other things on his mind. He is a scrounger. He can get whatever you want for a great price. He's always trying something new and he's very creative. No, I'm not trying to get out of doing chores by claiming that I'm crazy but I do like to try new things. I want to learn different trades and have different experiences. I also love a good bargain. I like to trade and barter for things.
Major Frank Burns: Otherwise known as 'Ferret Face'. Ha ha!!! Although Frank is super annoying and whiney, he is a very patriotic person. He does do and say some pretty dumb stuff. I do have to admit that I do and say stupid things quite often. Sometimes I can sense how dumb I sound or annoying I may be at times. I am also a very patriotic person. I love our country and the freedoms that we have here. I am so lucky to have been born here and I haven't had to worry about hiding my beliefs. I love living in the U.S. of A.!!!!
Major Charles Emerson Winchester III: Charles is a very proper person. He minds his manners and is very professional. He does a superb job at what he does as a surgeon. He loves classical music and appreciates classic literature. Although he is highly educated, his big head gets in his way. I love to be professional and I cannot express how important manners are to me. A simple please and thank you can go so far. I also want to be able to be the best at my job. I want to be the perfect teacher. I also have found a love for music. I play the piano and the trumpet. There are no words for how grateful I am to be able to play and hear music. Music is my way of being able to express myself and when I hear certain songs they carry certain memories with them, whether they be good or bad. But I also can have my arrogance get in the way. I become prideful and I need to be humbled.
I saved the best for last....
Major Margaret Houlihan: I personally feel like I am most like Major Houlihan. I have watched her grow from true khaki, regular army brat who was in love with a lipless wonder to a strong-willed, hardworking Major who also knew how to be a liberated woman. She knows her duty and she tries her best to fulfill it even if it means being ridiculed for sticking to the book. But she is not always so hard nosed. She has a soft side where she is a caring, warm, sensual woman. She has gone through a lot of heart ache with men, family and friends. In the beginning she seems immature and inexperienced but as the series continues she learns and grows to have experience and she learns to have a certain outlook on life. When my obsession with M*A*S*H started I was only 15 years old. I didn't know what love was, I didn't know what it meant to stand up for my beliefs and I didn't really know who I was deep down inside. I'm not saying that now 4 years later that I've figured all of that out but I feel that I have learned and gained new incites to myself just like Margaret. I love to follow rules. Rules and guidelines are set to help keep us safe but I also know when a rule can be broken for a greater good. I have learned to stand up against the crowd and stand for my beliefs and standards. I have learned what it means to have integrity. Like the Major, I also have a soft side. I have the part of me that wants to be loved by someone very special who will stand by me with the same goals and help lift me up. I want to love someone back and give them everything. I have learned that a love like that will take some time to find but when I do it will be worth it. I have changed friends and have had my share of family drama. I look up to Major Houlihan and how she is always working on who she is and trying to do her best and staying true to herself.
Not only do I connect with the main characters but I connect with one special extra character...
Nurse Kellye Nakahara: She is so sweet. She is always ready with a quip or a joke. She has one of the sweetest smiles I have ever seen. She has a scene with Hawkeye where she tells him how she is overlooked and how great she is and what people are missing out on. I too, sometimes feel overlooked by guys, friends and family but I also know that I'm a good person. I do have a healthy self-concept. I'm warm and sensitive like she is and I do have a lot of talents. People just need to see me and see what I can do.
Although I may seem to be a lot of people at one time, I really am just all of them rolled into one person. I don't try to put on different faces or try to be someone who I'm not. I just have many components that make up who I am. Sometimes I feel crowded by the many roles that I play and sometimes I feel lonely like I don't play any role at all but no matter what I will always be myself; experiencing, growing, learning.
I'm just Necia.
Kayte, Cheryl and I decided to dress up and act the part. We all had sweet boots! I'll have to say that we were the cutest girls at the party. :D
We had line dancing and swing dancing all night long! We were there for about two and a half hours dancing the night away. 
