As many of you are aware, our good pal nowaypablo is headed to Cadet Basic Training at Westpoint.
Take a minute and type up some kind of encouragement for pabs as he's getting reprogrammed. If you guys will all respond to this post, I'll print it off and send it to him. YES - I will PRINT ON PAPER like my grandma does with "cute" emails.
Take your time. There is no rush. I'll print this off on... say... Tues 5 July?
Pabs: Remember that creativity is the greatest skill one can have - the ability to take a take a bunch of disparate ingredients and turn them into soup. You're a creative person already, and the greatest benefit you will receive from a place like West Point is not just time to hone your creativity and make it situational, but also how to persevere through an environment that is not always open to new and creative thinking. In terms of scholarly advice: 1.) Say yes to as much as you can without totally overwhelming yourself. 2.)keep your study notes in the bathroom, or if communal, bring along as reading material. You're not doing anything else important with your consciousness when you're in there. 3.) find few, but high quality friends who will also help you succeed, and whom you can help succeed. 4.) go to your teacher's office hours, and do so with REAL questions. 5.) get to know the Janitors and Secretaries - these people are the keepers of the keys, and will open doors for you figuratively and sometimes literally. They are the sorts of people you DO NOT want to get on the bad side of, as well. I'm pulling for you - we're all in this together.
Hey cadet. I bet you're tired of hearing that word. Or maybe not. Maybe the thrill of being a part of an elite group, with its rituals and honorifics, is sort of growing on you -- the assholes, brats, and unloving officer notwithstanding. I'm happy for you. I'm curious, too. I'm told that the cadets make a pledge to never lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those who do. I always wondered what a culture might be like that codified such values. I've met people before that were living embodiments of virtues that seemed too abstract to ever be personified. Those people are always the most impressive. But they were once 18, too. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. You'll be more than a few steps in when you get these messages, just know that there are scores of Internet friends cheering you on.
Beware of the pleb pillow fights! Also, if you see any upperclassmen with the last names Cooley or Horvath (a male on the cheer squad), be sure to befriend them. They're HS friends of mine who are definitely headed somewhere good in life alongside you, of course!