"The only way to gain respect is doing so well you can't be ignored" (605 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 1.44 on 25 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by RockDocc (View user info) at 2006-08-25 06:07:22 EDT
Dear Mr. Romey
As I write you this email I am sitting, comfortably for the moment, at my barracks. It's Friday afternoon, I'm finally done with my work for the day so it's time to relax. An hour jaunt at the gym, some reading (Ender's Game, again) then possibly a drink or two before I hit the rack.
Sounds nice, doesn't it? It is, for the moment.
For the moment I am in garrison, awaiting a deployment to a war-zone in a country that up until three years ago, was unknown to a majority of Americans, and thought of as a backwater trouble spot to the rest. Iraq has found it's way into the country's vocabulary, much like weapons of mass destruction and the Global War on Terror.
Unfortunately, while the promise of a lively debate is indeed tempting, my political views on the war are to be unrepresented in this message. In fact, I'm only going to tell you how your class inspired me, how the books you gave me inspired me, and how you've inspired me.
I came to your class a senior in high school. Seventeen and full of myself, as most seventeen year-olds are, yet willing to see what you could give me as a teacher, and possibly inspire in me as a writer. You fulfilled every expectation. You were eccentric, you played by your own rules, and you pushed me to take the craft of writing, (a craft which by the way, I thought I had a firm grasp upon) to a totally different level. I still remember a number of the assignments you gave me; the paper on Beowulf from Grendel's point of view, (whom I promptly turned into a dark addict who finally welcomed his own demise) and the video project which frightened a number of my fellow students, but gave "Grendel" the sort of dark, dreary atmosphere I believed the book called for.
I still have that book, along with one other.
Ender's Game.
You gave Ender's Game when I told you of my dream of becoming a fighter pilot and saving the world from terrorists/Russians/Chinese/North Koreans (you get the picture). You gave me the book for a reason unknown to me at the time, but I still read, and relished every page. I began to fancy myself as Ender, a child who was forced to become the warrior he was born to be. A hero, if you will.
It's been nearly three years since I've left your class; and now I believe, I have learnt the reason for your gift; to understand to system, to learn that the people who hold power over me, "the adults", cannot have true power over me; I have to give it to them. For the longest time, I simply took the book as your way of telling me that no matter what, I can't trust my superiors, that the only person that I can put faith into, is myself. If this was your intention, then you were correct in lending me your copy of this fantastic book.
I am, if you will excuse the ego-trip, too smart for their games. I believe you saw this, and gave me the book as a silent way of telling me to never submit to their absolute rule.
I thank you for that message. It has served me faithfully. Now, granted I have gotten in some trouble for my views on the leadership abilities of my commanders, and on my comments on their true intentions, but so far, everything that I learned from this book is true.
They always have an ulterior motive, and just like Ender, I need to know what it is, and find a way to survive it.
Now that I have been for a few years, I've picked up on something else within this book which is just as important.
Leadership.
The Navy's official version of leadership is almost in tune with the notion of the sacrificial lamb on one end, and a vicious lion on the other; it is in one breath altruistic, and in another absolutely something to be wary of.
Fortunately for those that work for me, and for those that I will one day go to war with; I am not party to this line of thinking.
I believe in Ender's model of leadership. Ruthless to his enemies, yet still commanding respect from his comrades. Respect not for his rank, not for his social standing, no, respect because he is the best. Respect because his comrades knew that they could trust him to lead them to victory, and that they could trust him to bear the brunt of command and not let a single worry of his own cross his lips in front of his troops.
Ender has taught me what a leader is supposed to be. In giving me this book, you have taught me how to be a leader.
It took me nearly three years to figure this out, three years of milling around, getting blindly excited about going off to war, and simply training my body for the rigors of combat.
It's my mind which is going to make the difference between the completion of my mission, or certain death for my team, and myself. I have to think, I have to break protocol, and I have to understand that in the end, no matter how tired or mentally fatigued I am, I cannot give up. My life be damned, I will not my people down because I wouldn't push on with the mission due to personal problems.
I'm not sure if this will be my first and last message to you, but I hope you receive this and understand that because of you, I can fight this war, and hopefully, end it so the students in your class now won't be needed to fight, like I am.
Thank you. Thank you for the lessons in the classroom, and out. Thank you for the books, the lectures, and the assignments. You gave me a chance to realize my potential, and if I survive this war, I'm going to come back and do the same for someone else.
-HN Justin Shiver.
the "RockDocc"
"The only way to gain respect is doing so well you can't be ignored"
User Reviews
Submitted by UnderOathMeal (user info) at 2006-08-30 22:47:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Submitted by rockdocc (user info) at 2006-08-30 01:34:01 (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by The_taste_of_Monkeys (user info) at 2006-08-25 21:25:00 (#)
Ranking: 2
werd
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up
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yo
Submitted by d_prime (user info) at 2006-08-30 22:32:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
You are officially invited to D-Prime Madness III: http://www.ubersite.com/m/92455 (although anyone CAN join.)
Submitted by rockdocc (user info) at 2006-08-30 01:34:01 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by The_taste_of_Monkeys (user info) at 2006-08-25 21:25:00 (#)
Ranking: 2
werd
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up
Submitted by The_taste_of_Monkeys (user info) at 2006-08-25 21:25:00 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
werd
Submitted by rockdocc (user info) at 2006-08-25 21:12:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
this was ok, your committement to going to war is a little disturbing and I know you said you were trying to keep your political views out of it but your hoo ra ra attitude comes out here.
that being said +2 for giving mad props to a teacher who helped you learn something andfor Ender's Game.
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unfortunately, it's not a question of if I go, it's when. There's no need for speculation, I just need to get mentally and physically prepared, that also means getting motivated. I don't think it's a oohrah attitude, so much as it's "I am going to to do my best to make sure noone dies, but also to complete my mission"
I honestly think that maybe I can play a role in ending this thing. I don't know how, but I'm going to push as hard as I can to do it. I know I'm not a major player in this, in fact, I'm just a number, but maybe, just maybe, my generation will be the first and last generation to have to fight like this.
I don't believe that's oohrah, that's hopeful.
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2006-08-25 19:07:49 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
REMEMBER, THE GATE IS 'DOWN'
Submitted by BadAssJulie (user info) at 2006-08-25 18:13:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Aww.
Submitted by Brdn_Nkd (user info) at 2006-08-25 17:02:40 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
this was ok, your committement to going to war is a little disturbing and I know you said you were trying to keep your political views out of it but your hoo ra ra attitude comes out here.
that being said +2 for giving mad props to a teacher who helped you learn something andfor Ender's Game.
Submitted by Shlongy (user info) at 2006-08-25 09:48:24 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Good luck with all that
Submitted by rockdocc (user info) at 2006-08-25 09:41:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Method (user info) at 2006-08-25 09:32:03 (#)
Ranking: 2
As long as they don't make it look like Tron, I'll be happy
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you know the first time you saw it, you were like "holy shit...that's awesome"
I know I did.
granted I think I was four, so it was more like "mommy, why can't that man go in circles?"
but I was thinking, "holy shit man, that's awesome"
Submitted by Method (user info) at 2006-08-25 09:32:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
As long as they don't make it look like Tron, I'll be happy
Submitted by rockdocc (user info) at 2006-08-25 09:20:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by alwayspeach1 (user info) at 2006-08-25 07:40:13 (#)
Ranking: 2
+1 Military service
+1 Writing...could have been better but not bad overall
+1 Acknowledging someone's contribution to who you are as a person (that's one sign that you've become an adult)
Eh, I can't give a +3.
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so what's the rule for the whole comma thing? I've known to make a few paragraph sized sentences, beacuse I thought that when they said "complete thought" they meant "really fucking complete" I don't know, most of the time it's because I'm making a list or adding emphasis to the subject. I dunno, what do you think?
Submitted by rockdocc (user info) at 2006-08-25 09:18:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Method (user info) at 2006-08-25 08:54:52 (#)
Ranking: 0
You never know, it all depends on the director. I thought Lord of the Rings was going to be a disaster (yes, I'm a dork), but it was fantastic and true to the books (albeit abridged).
David Benioff wrote the screenplay of Troy....and Card thinks that he can pull it off, so I'm hopeful
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let's hope so.
on a lighter note, with all the advances in CGI, I'm sure it will look spectacular
Submitted by rockdocc (user info) at 2006-08-25 09:16:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
This was real. I sent it today. I hope he gets it soon. I haven't talked to him in a while. It'd be nice to strike up a conversation with this guy.
Submitted by ubetidid (user info) at 2006-08-25 09:07:19 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
if this is real, i hope you send it
to your teacher.
he will apprciate it far more than you can imagine.
Submitted by Method (user info) at 2006-08-25 08:54:52 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
You never know, it all depends on the director. I thought Lord of the Rings was going to be a disaster (yes, I'm a dork), but it was fantastic and true to the books (albeit abridged).
David Benioff wrote the screenplay of Troy....and Card thinks that he can pull it off, so I'm hopeful
Submitted by rockdocc (user info) at 2006-08-25 07:41:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Method (user info) at 2006-08-25 07:34:56 (#)
Ranking: 2
+2 Ender
I can't wait for the movie to come out
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hollywood is most likely going to ruin it and turn it into an action flick.
i would be so pissed
Submitted by alwayspeach1 (user info) at 2006-08-25 07:40:13 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
+1 Military service
+1 Writing...could have been better but not bad overall
+1 Acknowledging someone's contribution to who you are as a person (that's one sign that you've become an adult)
Eh, I can't give a +3.
Submitted by Method (user info) at 2006-08-25 07:34:56 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
+2 Ender
I can't wait for the movie to come out
Submitted by rockdocc (user info) at 2006-08-25 07:17:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
it might have been my overuse of commas, but I've always had some trouble knowing when to use a comma, and when not to.
Submitted by rockdocc (user info) at 2006-08-25 07:15:01 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
yeah, neither did I. but ahh well, ce la uber...
Submitted by Beano312003 (user info) at 2006-08-25 07:11:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I see no reason for this to be at -2.
Submitted by rockdocc (user info) at 2006-08-25 06:39:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I really hope he gets this. He was my favorite english teacher, the only guy who encouraged me to be creative as I wrote, not to worry so much about conjugating the verb, but to worry about the essence of the story, and to write from the heart.
I'm still workin' on it.
Submitted by 2004Dreaming (user info) at 2006-08-25 06:35:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
................
Submitted by rockdocc (user info) at 2006-08-25 06:17:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
yeah