It’s five in the morning and I am awake.
If anyone I considered close to me were ever to hear that Michael Wwas not only concious before noon, but voluntarily sprinting his second mile in a formation, I would imagine their reactions would range anywhere from hefty laughter to violent protests. However, I assure you that the remainder of this essay, as well as the blogs that follow, are both honest and accurate.
It’s been a mile and a half, and the only breaks yet have been for either push-ups or crunches. The sergeant shouts words of encouragement, but when they cease to raise morale threats ensue. We are the Mean Green, the underdog, and the new guy. We will show the UT, Tech, and A&M that we are not a joke, we are the future warrior leaders of the United States Army. Somehow this spurs me to quit wheezing.
Over the course of the next hour I do some things I consider “new” in life, an example being the lifting of the 1st leutenant (a.k.a the head honcho) over my head and running at a sprint. Keep in mind, I’m no body builder. Towards the end of the session the other cadets in the company start to appear on the feild (they having the fortune of being able to sleep in until six-thirty). We, the early birds, prepare for hour next hour of PT (Physical Training), and as the rest prepare for their first, we are commended and called “rangers.” Between the coughing wheezes and the feelings of nausea, I find myself beaming with pride.
The next hour goes easy, and I find my mind in a new place: contentment. There is no stress here, no downward pull, only satisfaction. I take pride in my new place in life, and will proudly wear my ACU (Army Combat Uniform) every Thursday, March twenty-six miles a year in the Bataan Death March, and even wake up at five in the morning for the title of “ranger.” We’ve all been told that college is is the turning point, the change, and the pinnacle of importance in our lives, and whether or not it makes sense to anyone else, I’m starting to understand why.
