Man in the Arena

I went to the first of two "Selection Briefs" today. During this one, the process was outlined and I had a short interview in which I gave them my platform preferences. I put down Tailhook at NAS Meridian, MS (I would've put Kingsville, as I have a lot of friends there, but Meridian is closer back East and I heard a rumor that the pipeline is opening up there). My second choice is "Rotary" out of NAS Whiting Field outside of Pensacola, FL.
This means that I'm definitely not staying here, which is too bad, really because as much as I don't like Corpus Christi, there's a lot of stuff and a lot of people which I'll miss. The best mechanic my car's ever seen is here. I sail every Wednesday night (schedule permitting) and a lot of my friends are staying here for the P-3 pipeline. If I get Tailhook (jets), I'm not going to care... but it'd still be nice to just move down the road to Kingsville and still be able to come up here and sail, but you can't have everything I s'pose.

In any case, I found out today that I have an NSS (Naval Standard Score) of 53. It's not amazing, it's actually a lot less than what I anticipated getting, but it's pretty darn good, and definitely above average. Not only is it above the Jet minimum of 50 but also it's the second highest score of anyone selecting this week at NAS Corpus. That's definitely great news, however it doesn't tell me how the people in the other 2 squadrons at NAS Whiting are doing, but it means that I am definitely a contender. All that needs to happen now is for there to be at least one more Jet er Tailhook spot this week and have the guys at Whiting who have higher grades than I do not want one of said spots.

It's a lot to ask, but stranger things have happened and like I said, I'll never give up.

I had to memorize this quote from Teddy Roosevelt plebe year... and as much as we've laughed at having to repeat stuff like this at full volume for upperclass back in the day, right now is definitely one of those times where it's applicable:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
- TR, from "Citizenship in a Republic" oddly enough delivered at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

'till Thursday...