It seems we have a projected winner of the White House, and in true 2020 fashion, it couldn’t happen clean and straightforward. As such, in the upcoming weeks, the cycle of “I told you so’s” and “You’re an idiot” seems to be primed to keep right on keeping on. 

As a patriot, lover of America for all her beauty (and despite her faults), I’m ready to jump off this ride. That found me thinking aloud in the shower, how do we get it right in the mixing bowl that America is? 

I am not a Rhodes Scholar, just a simple Ol’ infantryman. But, I have been working with and leading diverse groups of people for decades now. As such, I think I have a recipe to get us back to the colorful masterpiece we are meant to be. 

1. A heaping helping of humility. It is time that we put gloating aside. Someone had to win, and someone had to lose. Most importantly, no one should agree with anyone on everything, all of the time. If we go into every conversation with this in mind, we will become more tolerant of folks who see it differently. 
2. Two parts of Collaboration. As the adage goes, it takes two to tango, and right now, most Americans are shitty dance partners. You have to be willing to take turns taking the lead. You have to trust your partner to do what is best and honest, just as much as you expect them to do the same. It’s not that one side is right or one side is wrong; it’s slightly different perspectives on how to solve the same problem. 
3. Throw away the indignation. It’s been left setting out all night, and it’s gotten old. 
4. A pinch of perspective. No one is everything you think their candidate is—especially given that we are left with but two choices. Take the time to put yourself in the other person’s shoes and see the world from a slightly different view. 
5. Lastly, the recipe calls for an end to name-calling and personal attacks. Let’s go back to a simpler time when momma said if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. Guys, please listen to me; if you can’t make your point politely, you lose your point’s credibility. Remember, you never change an offended mind. 

Put this all in a bowl, pour on a generous helping of love thy neighbor, and shake vigorously until all the hate falls out. I want my country back, and I am willing to share it with you. 

I hope that we get back to being Americans, a country big enough for all people and strong enough to handle that diversity. 

“If you sweat more in training, you’ll bleed less in war.”

As an infantry soldier, I have heard that old stoicism regurgitated by NCO and officer alike (often after the customary Lee Greenwood song.) As a young soldier, I once thought it was, at best, false bravado, or at worst, the justification for the beatdown they were about to inflict on us.

I remember thinking, why are we pulling security? There is no enemy out there, not even some of our guys pretending to be bad guys. Why did we need to yell out in the middle of pretend war, TWO- OOOO–THREEEE to let everyone know we had indeed fired an imaginary Grenada and that our “budenimes” were indeed dead. “I got you” is an argument you never when in pretend war.

I never really got it until I got to combat. Then, amid an ambush, it became crystal clear why we did.

We had been traveling back on a convoy mission when all of a sudden, I heard a heavy machine gun open up. At the time, I thought it was one of our guys until I rotated my turret only to see the NTV in front of me getting lit up.

We were getting attacked from across the road and over four lanes of traffic. As I turned to engage, I heard the bullets crack the air around my head and then felt the vibration run down my arm from the one hitting turret. Half an inch of steel is the only thing that saved my life that day.

As I acquired a target and went to open up, my .50 jammed, not once, but twice. I assure you, nothing brings on the pucker factor quite like your weapon jamming in a gunfight!

But what happened next is what was the most telling to me. I reached over and grabbed my M203, aimed at the building, and lobbed around into it, ending the ambush. What would typically have filled me with a great sense of satisfaction embarrassed me because I did the most “boot” thing I could have done.

I yelled out “two-o-three” as I fired out the round.

In the middle of a gunfight, on a busy highway, vehicles getting lit up, I resorted to doing what I thought was stupid all the year leading up to that fight.

The important take away I hope you get from this is the understanding that the trivial matters—the small things matter. Suffering in training will save your ass in the game called life.

Stop lying to yourself and me and say, “Oh, I’d do it better if this was for real.” It’s not true, and if it were for real, you’d be dead.

“Train how you fight.”

I forget the movie, and I am sure I will butcher the quote, but I know I’ll get the sentiment right. “There once was a time where a man pulled up in a limousine, and everyone wanted to be him. Now, he pulls up in a limo, and everyone hates him. I believe that this change is the root cause of the degradation of American’s happiness.

You need to look no farther than the recent attack on Kim Kardashian. Here, we find people attacking her for a private party she threw on an Island. This woman, whose net worth is over 500 million and who’s husbands is over a billion, was roasted online for spending what would be the equivalent of a few hundred dollars for the average American on entertainment.

Let’s examine the hypocrisy for a minute.

Americans have increased impulse spending by 18% during the COVID-19 Pandemic, according to a survey commissioned by Slickdeals. According to the respondents, nearly three in four (72 percent) said that buying something impulsively during the Pandemic has positively affected their mood.

Why do you think Kim did that?

She was attacked in her IG post because she said she “40 and feeling so Humbled and blessed.” What was she supposed to say? “Ha ha ha, suck it, peasants?”

You can say whatever you would about Kim or how crazy Kanye is, but there remains no doubt that they are highly intelligent and astute business people. You don’t reach that level of success if you are dumb. It just doesn’t happen.

The problem lies in the fact that people are jealous, and it is easier to attack than to be happy for someone. What’s worse is that most of the folks attacking them are the ones who’ve done the most to support them.

Which one of you wouldn’t throw a private party for all of your friends and family on a remote island? Stop lying to yourself. You’re not mad that they did this, your crazy that you weren’t invited.

Someone told me recently, “You’d be surprised how many people talk shit about you behind your back.”

No.
No I wouldn’t.

I learned a long time ago that people do people things.

I used to be worried about what others thought of me. All it did was rob me of my piece of mind.

People who are miserable want you to be miserable.
People who can’t do what you can will hate what you’ve done.

But there is only one way they can really win.
If you let them occupy space in your head.

Getting bitter keeps you from doing better.

So pay no mind to who talks shit.

Most do.

Just be sure to give em plenty to talk about and wish em well on their way.
#justtheramblingsofanolinfantryman