– Honor, Duty, and … Community: MEOW Community Cooperation Blog

Much of my life has revolved around the ideals of service, duty, and honor embodied in the General´s West Point address, which I first read and found so inspiring as a cadet in both the Civil Air Patrol and Jr. ROTC.  The text is available here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/1068922/posts

That speech and the ideals it represents may be what got me kicked out of Annapolis, in fact. When I arrived at the Naval Academy, I expected the ideas I had been taught as a cadet to continue to the Brigade of Midshipmen and to the officer corps: Nobless Oblige, defend and support the weak, work together to serve the ideals that make our democracy great. But I found a very different reality there, and in questioning, earned the ire of both my upper classmen and several of my classmates to boot.

Contemplating the meaning of friendship, and the twilight of one´s life, I find that I have been told that I was out of touch, or had my head in the clouds, or lived life as the world should be rather than as it really is, been called a Crusader, over and over. The courage of my convictions remains with me, yet I tire of the struggle. What do I want from my life? Only to make that contribution which only I can make, to be a bridge, to help re-create the cooperation which existed, not only between communities, but to inspire people to recall and rebuild what was old Al Andalus, and the cooperation of La Convivencia. To gather and encourage people of good will and decency to promote cooperation and community for the sake of us all.
Peace,
Shira
MEOW Date: Friday, April 20, 12014 H.E. (Holocene Era)

The MEOW CC Blog: https://network23.org/communitycoop/2014/08/17/courage-of-convictions-meaning-and-framing-in-context-of/