*Note: If you read this post prior to 11/26/2013, I apologize for the grammar errors that were readily apparent throughout the post. Somewhere between draft and revise, the post was posted... hopefully it's better now, although I'm no editor.
Everyone:
Victory
Look at it. It's glorious, isn't it? The sight and sound of the word victory conjures up a feeling inside me that is almost inexplicable. The feeling of conquering, winning, or completing some momentous task makes me feel, well... victorious! However, these feelings are, just, part of what victory truly is; and we need to remember that victory comes with a price.
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| This is a picture of victory. For the second time in three attempts the Staff Team beat the SMHS Girls' Varsity Soccer Team. It was a sweet victory. One that I will not soon forget. Part of what made it so sweet, though, wasn't just that we won, but the price we paid to achieve it. I gave up time with my family, some skin on my knees, and a weekend of productivity because I could barely walk for most of the weekend. I can barely walk now, in fact. My feet hurt so bad I'm trying to figure out what shoes to wear so I can shuffle to, from, and around my classroom today. Was it worth it? It sure was. |
Every victory, whether it's large or small, comes with a price. Whether it's victory over drug use,or passing a class, beating a video game or beating the Girls' Varsity Soccer Team. Every victory (and really everything you do) comes with a price. Whether it's time, money, lives, friends, skin, or something else. When dealing with victory and sacrafice, we need to ask ourselves some key questions. Those questions are (I think), is the victory worth the sacrifice? And, are you willing to make that sacrifice? There is great difficulty in figuring out how to even ask or qualify these questions or quantify the results. Is it worth losing friends (or girlfriends) to focus on schoolwork? Are you willing to sever the ties with a friend because they want you to do drugs, or have sex, or drink, or steal? Are you willing to go through some pain to achieve a goal? Will you, instead, fall victim to peer-pressure (Does everything have to be so serious, Mr. Markstone???? JEEZ!)? We're talking about real victories here. Victories and decisions that will help define who you are now and who you become in the course of your life.
While victory over anything is sweet, and we all enjoy when others recognize our victories and we get to gloriously parade around on all of our glory, while others worship our achievements... Some victories, will never be (and should never be) known by anyone else. We all have some inner battles we fight each and every day. Some days we are victorious, some days we are not. Sometimes we kick-ass and take names, and sometimes we get left half-bloody in defeat. Those victories, the ones very few people know about, are what truly shape us. Unfortunately, they are also the hardest to win. It's tough to be a good person when no one is around, and no one will possibly find out what you are doing.
However, this is where things get tricky. If you are doing something that needs to be kept a secret from everyone else, then you probably shouldn't be doing it at all. (Think about that before you move on.)
Given that we shouldn't have a ton of secrets, a key ingredient in the recipe of victory (if there is such a thing) is surrounding yourself with friends who will help you achieve victory. People who will challenge you, who know what you struggle with, who will keep you honest, and who will call you out when you are "caught slippin'!" You see, there's a huge difference between friends who you have to fight against to achieve victory and friends who will fight with you to conquer anyone or anything you may fight in your life. When you choose your friends and significant others, think about what part they will play in your victory in life. Will they help you to victory, or will they be across from you on the battlefield, a roadblock to success?
I've been blessed with a wife and friends who fight for me; who help me win each and every day. Friends who, although I don't always like it, call me out when I screw up or when my priorities get out of order. Sometimes really hate them. They force me to do things I don't want to do (like go out in public), but I always appreciate them when I achieve a personal victory, no matter what it is. I realize, now more than ever, that without them, I'm not sure I'd be as productive, successful, or happy as I am now. Don't get me wrong, I still make a ton of decisions that directly affect my life. Ultimately, I will be held responsible for the decisions I make, no matter how dumb they are. However, having friends that will tell you when you are "doing it wrong" makes a huge difference. It takes courage to be stand up to someone and tell them they are going down the wrong path, or choosing the wrong friends, or making dumb decisions. However, you should be that person, and you should seek to surround yourself with those people.
As we move into the last two-plus weeks of school let's consider what victory really is. You (may) have to define it for yourself. What do you want to achieve during the last two weeks of school, and what are you willing to do to get it? Oh, and let's not forget the historical examples of victory. Whether it was the American Revolution, WWI or WWII, the flu vaccination, or stopping the spread of cholera. There are lots of victories we can look to for inspiration, and there are even more that we cannot yet enjoy. You can help achieve victory, you just have to apply yourself and you can make a difference.
Here's to another day, and another victory.
Quick-write #12
- This week's "What's Going On In This Picture?"
- What's going on in this picture?
- What do you see that makes you say that?
- What else can you find?
Objectives:
- Identify the long-standing causes of WWI.
AP World History
Quick-write #23:
Complete the above WGOITP... we'll get to this, though, during the lesson.
Objectives:
- Analyze your performance on the last three DBQ's.
- Analyze the reactions to the spread of the Plague in Europe.
- Analyze the importance and the role Empires and trade played in facilitating the spread of the Plague
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