Bipolar motivation...

When I went through basic training over six years ago, our battalion commander came in and spoke to us on our first day. He gave a speech that motivated me through all of the rough times in my 10 months of training into the Army. He started out with all the normal crap about what a great thing we were doing for our country, how this would change our lives, and all the people back home who were rooting for us. Then it took an unexpected turn, he asked about the people back home who were not rooting for us, the people who were waiting for us to fail and return home with our tails between our legs, the negative motivators.
Immediately I thought of this prick from the Army ROTC back at USC. It was the first day of class in my second year. We were all introducing ourselves and when he mentioned he was in ROTC, I told him I thought of joining the Army. Before really talking to me and before getting to know me, he looked at me and told me to stop thinking about it because I wouldn’t make it.
What mother fucker?
Come again?
Anyways, I never really thought about him all that much after that. He wasn’t why I joined the Army or anything. Not until the commander gave that speech had I thought of that arrogant piece of trash. But it was simply the first of many times.
When I was struggling through the obstacle course, I thought of him.
When my hands were freezing as I tried to keep up in a road march, I thought of him.
When I was aiming my m-16, I thought of him.
I thought of him laughing at the thought of me quitting. It became important to me that I improved because I was not going to let him win.
The other day I was talking with one of the sergeant’s from the California National Guard unit who is here with us. He was talking about his brother the Colonel and I happened to mention that my battalion commander in basic training shared his name. Turned out to be his brother! He asked me what I remembered and all I remembered was the negative motivator speech and how it was one of the major influences on my military career. He then went right into it word for word. I was sitting there listening to it all over again and, amazingly enough, all the old emotions came rushing back. I thought of that prick back at USC and if he could only see me now. And what I would do or say if I ever saw him.
Then it occurred to me that the asshole is probably a captain by now and all I would do is salute him and call him sir.