Importance of Athletics/Yet Another "Chances" Post

Wow... I'm not surprised that you've received many awards for your writing since you seem very articulate. I seem to find that the encouragement will not always come from your family as you seem to have experienced. I think that many (not all) older relatives seem lost and lack the knowledge to help us achieve our goals unless it is something they've experienced. These forums will most likely be able to give you that "fatherly" advice in a sense.

These forums are very helpful and may give you that extra 'shove' needed to do this or that or boost your self confidence. The people on this forum are here to help all the potential SA potentials meet and obtain their goals. So they're here to help. It's really a great thing. So I'll take a moment and salute all the moderators and people that reply to our threads religiously. Thank you!

Rhythm, wish you the best of luck in all your endeavors!

P.S. I apologize for the slightly off topic post.
 
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The Rhythm said:
The overused phrase around here is: "you're a scholar, not a soldier"...
Click to expand...

You can be both a scholar and a soldier. "The Nation that makes a great distinction between its scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting done by fools." —Thucydides

It must be hard when your family doesn’t encourage you in this goal. I’ll tell you the same thing I have told my sons…you need to find the path in life that makes YOU happy. You cannot live your life for your parents or grandparents. If you want to attend West Point I say apply and see what happens. Your family may become more supportive when they see how serious you are about this goal.

If you can find one in your area, go to an informational meeting about West Point and bring along your mother and/or grandfather (if you can get them to go). This may help them see why you are interested.

Are you at all interested in Army ROTC if you don't get West Point?
 
Thanks WA--

Well, Civil Prep would be an option... but I'm really not sure at this point :confused:
 
Rhythm,

I can't respond to your latest posts because I need to get to work (I'm 5 hours ahead of the east coast right now), but I will when I get back tonight (about lunchtime ET). Until then, hang in there.

"You're a scholar, not a soldier". Wow. :mad:

Let me just say this: You will be an ADULT, so you can make YOUR OWN decisions about YOUR future.
 
I'm with zaphod. There's an awful lot to tell you and I'll write more later. And my daughter received much of the same "advice" from many of relatives in our close-knit family. WAMom's quote is excellent. In the meantime, read: Absolutely American
http://www.amazon.com/Absolutely-Am...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199789135&sr=1-1
Duty First
http://www.amazon.com/Duty-First-Ma...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199789196&sr=1-1
Battle Dress (meant for teens, but written by a woman who graduated from WP)
http://www.deepdiscount.com/viewproduct.htm?productId=7821986

And watch:
Surviving West Point
http://search.deepdiscount.com/search?w=surviving west point&af=cat1_dvds
The Long Gray Line
http://www.deepdiscount.com/viewproduct.htm?productId=5742153


Stay tuned.
 
At West Point you will be both a scholar and a soldier. In the Army of course you will be a soldier first.

West Point is in fact a very scholarly place - see this link on scholarship winners:
http://www.dean.usma.edu/Scholarships/

I also suggest you read "Soldier's Heart" by Elizabeth Samet. You can get it at your local national book chain (Barnes & Nobel). She is a Harvard and Yale grad who has been an English professor at West Point for 10 years.
Better yet - let your mom read it!

Hang in there - if you want support then you will get it here!
 
After you read Soldier's Heart, send an email to the author. I'm betting she'd love to hear from you!
 
When my daughter first approached me about attending WP, I basically told her that I wouldn't stop her, but I also wouldn't help her. I was very conflicted because I know her potential and I wasn't sure that the Army would honor that potential. Plus, there is a huge fear factor - not hers, mine for her.

I had accompanied my 2 older sons on college visits, and getting the feel of a campus is very important. So, when she and I had the opportunity to visit WP the summer before her junior year, we went. I was hoping that she wouldn't like it, and then I wouldn't have to deal with it anymore. :wink: Unfortunately, for me, she loved it. And we had only taken the tour - didn't even talk to anyone official.

I can't tell how far from West Point you are, but if there's any way that you and your mother can go for an orientation, it may be easier for her to accept why you want to go there. If you can't go, then definitely have them go with you to the informational meetings. The professionalism, discipline, and respect that is displayed at WP, or even at the informational meetings is just so impressive.

I also made a point of talking to other Army officers and enlisted personnel when I had the opportunity - some were recruiters at her high school and the community college where I was taking classes, but sometimes just soldiers that I met by chance. All of them told me that they wouldn't want to be doing anything else and have no regrets.

It took me a while to come to terms with her decision, but the more she was certain, the more comfortable I became with her decision. I just couldn't NOT support her with this decision, when all her life I've taught her to be independent and think for herself. Of course, she was quite happy with herself when she pointed this out to me. She basically said it was all my fault. :bang: (All I could do was turn my face away and smile.)

Don't give up your dream, but make sure that it's really what you want. Do your research. And most especially give your mom and the rest of your family time to adjust. I imagine that today's Army is much different than the one your grandfather experienced. Maybe your grandfather needs to see a different Army experience than what he had, before he'll understand your decision.

Now I'm going to get tough. If you choose not to pursue this only because of your family's reaction, then maybe you aren't WP and officer material after all.

Take your time, do your research and know that your family loves you and I'm pretty sure that they will continue to love you whatever profession you choose. (Remind them that you can be a doctor or lawyer in the Army. If your goal is to fly helicopters, I'd probably leave that out.) And from someone who's a little mischievous, I'd write/type/printout the Thucydides quote above and put it where you can refer to it and somewhere that your family can see it, too. :wink:


A final sidenote: My oldest son went with me to PPW. He's in his second year of a master's degree for engineering. He hadn't been very supportive of her going at all, but he was so impressed with WP, that he mentioned joining the Army to do research :eek: And he's not easily impressed with anything.
 
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