Sunday, August 19, 2012

New Cadet

My daughter (and 420 others) started New Cadet Week yesterday.  For the next seven days, they'll undergo a stressful environment -- though, according to the instructors, more mentally stressful than physical -- learning how to be a cadet at Virginia Tech.  The staff warned us that there are always about ten kids who will call home, saying that this isn't for them. The call will come through the commandant's office -- for the next week, the kids don't have any sort of electronic devices.  They said how we handle it will be our call, but the track record is, if you say to the kid 'It's your life, your decision' at a time when they're tired, discouraged, and depressed -- they'll probably bail out. I doubt we'll get the call, but you never know.

Her roommate is tall - about six one - and smart -- she's her high school valedictorian, going for a degree in Mechanical Engineering.  Seems like a nice kid.  Her mother told me that the girl wanted to come, but was very nervous.  Sounds about right.

Seeing all those kids - more than kids, less than adults - and all their energy and enthusiasm -- it wore me right the heck out.  And I think Was I actually that energetic?  Probably.  Hard to believe, though.  I believe she'll be fine. When I see what the kids look like after four years -- sharp, focused, almost glittering -- I know I could never have done that.  I'm proud of her.  And she knows it.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good luck to her. I'm sure she'll continue to make you proud :-)

Cerulean Bill said...

Oh, that's a given. No matter what, if she's true to herself, she'll do that.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations to both of you.

Cerulean Bill said...

Thanks. Based on the photos that the commandant is putting on Facebook, her one week is as tough as anything I did in my own basic training. Probably harder.

Unknown said...

Probably harder.

Cerulean Bill said...

She just dropped me a line. Told me she thinks this is the worst decision she ever made. But she'll stick it out...for a while. What we both want is smart, capable, independent. Which the military CAN do, but you have to really be very good. In my experience, they like followers and very, very good leaders...nothing in between.