Sgt 1st Class Greg Stube almost lost his life in the battle of Sperwan Gar, west of Kandahar. His guts were blown out by a rocket and he lost a leg. His life was saved by a man he had refused to let graduate when he was an instructor at the Special Warfare School and Center at Ft Bragg. He gave the man a choice: Go home (back to the regular Army) or go through the course again. The man chose the second option, and ended up saving Sgt Stube's life.
It's not very often a man gets to pick his savior, to shape an outside influence that will one day drag him from death's door. Sgt Stube was not given this opportunity: He made it by his own positive action, by demanding nothing but the best from his teammates. His teammate also embraced his destiny by not giving up on his dream to be an SF troop.
This is what makes the US military the greatest, most successful institution in the United States, perhaps the world. Soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines demand nothing but the best from themselves and their fellow warriors. Special forces even more so. Slack off, and the organization will spit you out on the street.
We can control what goes on around us. To believe otherwise is to surrender to despair
Self: Never stop growing or learning. Give it all or go home.
Family: Demand the best from your children, or you may be supporting them in your old age instead of vice versa.
Vocation: Demand the best from your coworker or your company may end up like GM
Faith: Demand the best from your pastors (and pastors, from your fellow pastors!) or you may end up embarrassed like Ted Haggard's New Life Church or bankrupt like many Catholic Dioceses who had not the courage to face the evil in their own midst.
Government: Demand efficient use of resources and courageous leadership from your politicians or your country will end up, well... where it is now.
We can control our own destinies if we have the courage to perservere regardless of circumstances and demand that those around us do as well.
What Makes A Hero?
10 comments:
Good Post, Silver Fiddle. I'm Surprised No One Commented.
I do Wonder, though, if it is Possible to Expect too much. I Know I Get Frustrated at Times when it Appears to be Impossible to Please Someone. Maybe that's another Subject. I Don't Know.
Sorry. I just Like to Play the Devil's Advocate a lot.
Setting the bar too high can be a problem, but I think generally we tend to do the opposite.
This is the "Dark Side," where I post deeper stuff. Not too many visitors.
BTW, I took that picture myself. It's a line of soldiers walking out to get in a C-130 at Kandahar Airfield.
Well, you're in Luck, Silverfiddle, for I Happen to Like Slow Blogs. I've just got a Mind Right Now that Maybe I Ought to Follow you on this Blog. I Even Feel a little like Apologizing that it has Taken me so Long.
As to Setting the Bar too High, I Guess if the Bar is Beyond One's Reach, yet People are Appreciated and Complemented for their Efforts, even as they Fall Short of it, then the Expectations aren't so Bad.
What Makes it Hard in when there are Multiple Things that are Lacking, such as Encouragement, Appreciation and Praise. If these Things are Given Generously, then High Expectations do not have to be a Seen as a Negative.
No need to apologize, and you are right that if people have been beaten down and told they can't do it, it will be much harder for them to realize they can reach their goals.
Unfortunately, One of the First Lessons that I Learned in Life was that it is not just those who do not Try that Fail.
I Tried Three Times to be a Waitress, but was Told all Three Times, by Three Different Employers, that I'm not Cut Out for it.
Also, I Took a Typing Class, after which I Typed 25 Words Per. Minute. I Then Took an Advanced Typing Class, After which I Typed 25 Words a Minute and you are just going to have to Trust me when I Tell you that Lack of Effort had Nothing to do with it.
Next, I Went to College and Studied Non-Stop, which brought me just as many Cs as Bs, and Only a Few As. Every Time I Tried to Take 16 Units, I had to Drop a Class. I Tried Several Times to Over Come this as well. Once again, you are going to Have to Trust me when I Tell you that I could not have Possibly Tired any Harder and then by Some Amazing Miracle, I did Graduate.
My Brother was a Straight A Student.
Ok, sure when I Lacked Faith in Myself, I Got Ds and Fs and Funked Second Grade and when I did Believe in myself, I Got Bs and As (that's in Grade School, Jr. High and High School), but No Amount of Faith or Effort Could Make me into a Straight A Student like my Brother.
This has been my Reality and if you Choose not to Believe it, Unfortunately, that does not Change my Reality.
I Guess that's why I have a Soft Spot for those who don't Quite Cut it in Relation to whatever.
That's not to Down Play the Importance of Pushing People to Reach for their Full Potential, whatever that might Be, it's just that so Many People do not Seem to Realize that not Everyone's God Given Potential is the Same.
"not Everyone's God Given Potential is the Same.
So true. I think the trick is to find what you're naturally good at
Not Everyone is Gifted in Ways that Bring in Money.
Money isn't everything
Well Silverfiddle,
Congratulations, for your Statement has Inspired a New Post on my Blog.
It's JUST Money!! / The Value of Money
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