Discipline

West Point Cadet Take the Oath 

Yesterday President Obama accepted General Stanley McChrystal's resignation.  General McChrystal offered his resignation as a result of the uproar over the Rolling Stone article about "The Runaway General" which showed McChrystal's disrespect for his commander in chief, President Obama.

McChrystal at an earlier meeting with Obama showing his obvious disdain for his commander in chief, President Obama

President Obama made the right decision in accepting McChrystal's resignation.  General McChrystal failed in the first and basic requirement of any member of the armed forces, discipline.  General McChrystal, by showing his contempt of President Obama and Obama's civilian staff, set an unacceptable tone for his staff and soldiers.  For our country to have a strong armed forces, there must be a seamless chain of command.  At the top of that chain of command is the president of the United States.  It doesn't matter whether you like or dislike the president, the president is the commander in chief.

McChrystal arrives at the White House yesterday

When I joined the Army on July 27, 1960 the first thing that I did was raise my right hand and take the oath to obey the commander in chief.  I am sure McChrystal also took the same oath early in his career when he entered West Point.  Where did he ever get the idea that he could ignore this oath?

McChrystal is well known for his discipline.  Reports say that he eats only one meal a day, runs seven miles a day and only sleeps four hours a night.  Impressive.  I couldn't do it.  But one thing I could do when I was in the Army was obey my commander in chief.  I also obeyed my platoon sergeant, first lieutenant, company commander, battalion commander, division commander, and whoever else was next in the chain of command all the way up to the president of the United States.  Was McChrystal's ego that outsized that he thought he was exempt from this most basic responsibility of a member of the armed forces?

Most of us at one time or another said things that we have regretted.  I certainly not exempt.  One of the reasons I decided not to make a career out of the Army was that I knew sooner or later I would have to report to somebody that I did not respect.  Even at that young age (21) I knew that if I was a private citizen and worked for somebody I didn't like or respect I could quit.  That's not an option for an enlisted man (or women) in the Army.  I didn't want to short circuit an Army career by having a run in with an officer that I despised.

Sure enough, in my civilian career I have encountered bosses who I did not respect.  On several jobs I quit rather than report to that kind of boss.  One time I made a mistake and didn't quit.  I was disrespectful (I spouted off one too many times) to a new boss I had at one of the banks where I worked. After a torturous few months of disciplinary actions, I was fired.  Yes, you read that right, I was fired.  It's not something I'm proud of.  I was called down to the bank president's office and told by the bank president that he could no longer tolerate the conflict between me and my superior.  I was then walked back to my desk (accompanied by my boss who I so despised) and told to clean out my desk and depart the bank immediately.  I was officially a non person.

Was I upset?  Not really.  In fact I was relieved to be done with the game playing of the documentation of my "poor performance."  Did I think the bank president make the right decision?  Absolutely.  I was disrespectful of my superior.  One incident specifically I angrily mouthed off to him (I call it "biting his head off") in full view and hearing of my co-workers.  That was the beginning the end for me.  In fact, he had every right to fire me on the spot.  The only reason I think he didn't fire me was that he wanted to make sure my replacement was in place before he did the necessary deed.

In my present job in which I only work part-time, I sometimes have issues with my boss, who is also the owner of the hotel.  Rather than let these issues simmer or discuss them with my co-workers, I have asked for a meeting with my boss to discuss them.  Airing my grievances in public is not an option, no matter how justified my complaints.  If my situation at work became so intolerable that I could no longer work for my boss, then my option is to quit.  I took that option with another bank job I had.  What is not an option is to air my grievances in public, thus showing disrespect and humiliating my boss.  That simply is not an option.

What constantly amazes me in life are people who show super human discipline in some areas of their life but in some basic areas, they show none.  Unfortunately for General McChrystal, his total lack of discipline for his oath to his commander in chief destroyed his whole career.

Think about it General McChrystal

A Touch of Fall

Yesterday morning Bill and I headed out to Rehoboth Beach and Zorba's Restaurant for our usual weekly breakfast. The food at Zorba's is mediocre at best but the layout of the restaurant is comfortable (a lot of booths)and  the services good and also gay friendly. Yesterday morning we both ordered a short stack of buttermilk pancakes. I have to say they were heavenly. I brought along my own authentic 100% maple syrup. I try to keep my consumption of all those high fructose corn syrup concoctions down to a minimum and who knows what's in that pancake syrup they serve at Zorba's.  My stomach is too tempermental at this stage of my life for me to take a chance on the unknown substance they call "maple syrup" in the sticky container the waitress placed on our formica topped table.




As we sat in the restaurant sipping our coffees (mine decaf and Bill's full blast caffeinated), I watched the traffic out on Route 1. The amount of cars and SUV's with bicycles piggybacked on the rear bumpers was less than usual. The summertime traffic is winding down. I didn't see the steady stream of traffic that I've been seeing all summer from my weekly breakfast perch at Zorba's. Thank goodness. While we locals all appreciate the business that the tourists bring to the beach areas of southern Delaware, we're not sad to see them go at the end of the season. We locals stay out of Rehoboth Beach in the summertime because of the crowds and gridlocked roads. I've seen that movie.  I don't want to see it again.


A sure sign that the summer season is coming to an end is my friend Cajun inviting me to join him for a drink and chat at the Feathered One (aka The Purple Parrot in Rehoboth Beach) this Sunday evening at 5:30 pm. We will renew our almost weekly get together of local friends for Happy Hour cocktails, chat and good eating in the heart of Rehoboth Beach, sans the tourists. Ah yes, I am looking forward to seeing old friends again and catching up on all the gossip of the past summer (sorry about that Harvey.)



Another sign that the summer season is coming to an end is that the onslaught of moms and dads at the hotel where I work has slacked off. Those kiddies are back in school! Last weekend was a trip and a half contending with screaming kids running to and from the breakfast room past the front desk where I am perched. Ever notice how the Little Darlings can't walk? They run. Where do they get all that energy? Wouldn't I love to have some? Did I have that kind of energy when I was a Little Darling? I don't think so because I was never a Little Darling. At least that's what my dad told me. He had another name for me, Shut Up! I didn't dare run anywhere or else I would have his big paw slamming down on my backside. But then that was another time and a different mindset.



Tomorrow I have my annual dermatology appointment at the VA Medical Center in Wilmington. That means I have to get up way to early (4:30 am) to catch the American Legion Post 28 van at 6 am for my ride to the VA. The van should get me back home around 12 noon then I have to get ready for my afternoon shift at the hotel. Then I'm off the rest of the week until the weekend. I'm working this weekend for my co-worker Monica. Her son is in Iraq and he is returning for a week's leave and she wants to spend time with him. He is a wonderful young man who generously volunteered for duty in Iraq and I will make sure to let him know how much I appreciate his effort on behalf of our country. I honor and respect all those of our best and brightest over there in Irag and Afghanistan in the service of our country.



Next Monday I have another appointment at the VA Medical Center. This one is to go over my "labs" that I took at the Georgetown VA Outpatient center. I refused to go back to the Georgetown facility because they can't keep a doctor or even a nurse practitioner to consult with me. I hate to say it but the Georgetown facility isn't doing us vets down here in southern Delaware much good. They can't even keep a doctor on premise. It's a facility in name only. I'm looking forward to seeing my previous doctor in the Wilmington VA. I felt I was in very good hands the first and only time I met with her over a year ago before I was relocated to the Georgetown VA clinic.


Next month my hours will go down to one day a week at the hotel. While the pay I receive won't do much to help with my mortgage payments, I will value the extra time I have off from work. During this past summer and spring I put a lot on the back burner while I did yard work outside. Now that the birds are gone and the planting season is coming to an end, I can get back to updating my genealogy family tree and other chores like unpacking boxes I still have from my move down here in November of 2006. Yes Virginia, I still have unpacked boxes from my move. Don't tell anyone.