Let's talk about Honor, and a 130 year old poem...

I received an email from Lauren, a student in England. She asked how I am able to follow orders even when I know that sometimes my friends get hurt or killed. I was unsure how to immediately respond, so I took some time to think about it...

For better or worse, this is what I came up with...

One of my favorite pieces of military literature is The Charge of the Light Brigade, a poem from the 1800's that honors "The 600" who gave their lives for the British Cavalry cause against the Russians in 1854. It speaks in beautiful cadence to both the honor and travesty of war. It's main theme is following the lead, regardless of the cost.

The most famous line in the poem reads:

Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die

This is supposed to be the way of the military. We're not to ask questions. We're not to ask "why?" We are simply to do our job, and if necessary...die.

This translates to the civilian world as well. As a student it is your job to learn. Your teachers are trained to give you the knowledge you need to succeed. As much as student's don't like to believe it, teachers are usually are pretty good at their job. I often laugh now, at the age of 28 because I think back to just how often my teachers or parents were right about something that I fought adamantly.

It's rare that someone really, truly loves their job. Often we don't like our boss, or our teachers. Often we hate the work we are doing. However it is a matter of honor that we go about our duties doing the very best we can, even if we do not see the results we expect.

If someone half asses their work it reflects poorly upon themselves. No matter how many beautiful bridges the bridge builder puts up, the first time he builds an ugly one, that is the bridge for which he will always be remembered (just look at Joe Paterno).

Honor is the key word here.

If I go about my job and fail, I hope to have failed with honor. In my line of work, failure means death. I hope that if that moment comes, it comes with honor. Some say soldiers have courage. But I think anyone can have courage. People that are weak at heart can still have the courage to face the enemy. But honor is what we should really strive for. It sets itself above courage. The 600 died because their courage was trumped by their honor.

It is honor that defines ones legacy. We should all strive for that honorable legacy. That honor is attained through hard work, dedication to a craft, and the ability to follow orders...whether you flip burgers, build bridges, or fight wars.

My job is different than others, because at any given moment life or limb can be taken away. However, I always follow my leadership because it is the right thing to do. There are ways to voice my disagreement, but in the end my leadership does what they do for a reason and I must respect that and follow them. I do not like my job any more than anyone else, but I will give it my 100% best effort because it is the honorable thing to do.

What do you think?


Until next time,

Chris