- Joined
- Apr 9, 2017
- Messages
- 9,358
EVERYONE falls off their pedestal at some point in their lives. Hits a brick wall. EVERYONE. Sometimes is a short distance, happens privately, no one knows and the ramifications are relatively painless. Sometimes, it’s a story like this. But everyone fails. Because we are human. Make dumb decisions. Have free Will.NYT reporting that five were cadets.
Thousands of potential appointees would willingly give their lives for service to this country and the honor of attending a SA. As a hopeful candidate, this profoundly disappoints me, and even makes me question how a process that puts so many people through such an involved application process, can result in failures of this magnitude. The 2020 math cheating scandal I was willing to brush off as just some relatively harmless stupidity. This kind of news cuts to my core.
I hope everyone recovers but this makes me question this process and whether USMA is for me.
But thinking everyone who attends a SA is infallibile, perfect, unable to make a mistake is wrong. If you think you are perfect, your fall off your own pedestal will be more painful when it happens. BC it will. This isn’t unique to a SA. It’s all part of growing up. Adulting. Your own decision making will be challenged wherever you go.
I would suggest talking this out with your school counselor. They have seen their fair share of stories of good people, making bad choices. Alcohol is a BIG contributor bc it inhibits your decision making abilities in the moment. Setting yourself up for the best outcome, before the situation presents itself, is key (not speaking to the specifics of this situation, but rather in general). Maybe that means having a buddy crew. Maybe it means foregoing an event. Idk. But challenging social decisions will be something you deal with no matter where you attend.