An Old Friend Enrolls in West Point

An old friend from grammar school came by my high school the other day to visit.

He got in to West Point — a terrific feat — and ships in June to start a multi-year process of becoming an officer in the military. He wants to serve his country. In observing his buff body and demeanor, it struck me that he’s the classic, militaristic, "let’s go kick some butt" kind of guy. I guess that’s what it takes to go in a warzone and kill the enemy. I’m proud of his patriotism and enthusiasm for serving his country. We should all be proud. I thought of a post I did in September 2004 quoting from Newsweek:

Please come back safely. Please remember to watch your back. Help where you can with the skills that you have. Use your humor to protect yourself. Use your social skills to help people. You have friends, so don’t be afraid to use us as a sounding board. We wish you well. I wish you well. And… James? Most of all, I wish you peace.