He was about 5'11 200 pounds. Definitely not ripped but fit. Probably, to my eye, too big to run optimally and too small to be strong. " I don't mean to be arrogant", he said ironically, " but if the whole army were as strong and fit as me, It'd be an awesome army." He was commenting on our discussion of his occupation in the military as a signal core sergeant. A general gym douche-bag, but I liked him. He carried on a bit more, a possible promotion in the next few months, on his recent child, his wife and even his wealth. He was arrogant but in a amusing way to me. Perhaps because I didn't really think joining the military was an endeavor in riches or family. I mean pay for the military sucks and the divorce rate is high. I was more beholden him for his duty in spite of these things, not because of them. He was in no way trying to measure up as I think he thought I was unemployed or at best near that. It was maybe a self convincing deception at his lot in life. Anyways, I chalked him to being at a level of competency equal to his tasks, an idea which says more about myself than him.
A few months later, I learned from another gym member that he was passed over. No promotion. I chuckled. Not out of spite but because in his mind, advancing the military's ability to "awesome" would require all people be at his physical acumen, according to him, yet a simple promotion wasn't even fitting evidently for those in charge. Talk about being out of sink with the organization. Lord knows I've been there.
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Career choice
He yawned. He had finished the day and he had also finished with his
youth. Various well-bred moralities had already discreetly offered him
their services: disillusioned epicureanism, smiling tolerance,
resignation, common sense stoicism - all the aids whereby a man may
savour, minute by minute, like a connoisseur, the failure of a life.
- L'âge de raison (the age of reason) (1945)- JP Sartre
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