A letter from May 18th, 2021

Dear FutureMe, Personal Creed Miko Hawk 09.04.20XX English 5 Events USMC BootCamp Graduation Seeing my brother graduate from the Marines sparked a fire inside me. Seeing him stand up there in his dress blues gave me an overwhelming feeling of heroism and honor. I remember driving to Camp Pendleton not knowing what to expect and dreading the drive, little did I know I was going to change my life forever. I remember sitting up on the bleachers looking down at the hundreds of graduates not being able to tell the difference between any one of them. They all had a high and tight haircut, the same clothes, the same everything. The only people that looked different were the African-Americans, there were only a few of them as the majority of the class was white. The class proceeds to march and I’m watching carefully for one of them to mess up, which they never do. Every single movement perfectly synchronized calculated to a tee. My favorite part was when they were firing their rifles and the color guard started spinning the flags. After the ceremony, the men weren’t allowed to leave from their stance so we had to go and find them. When we finally found my brother I saw tears rolling down his face when we went to give him a hug, he was so happy to see us. This was a major turning point in my life because from here on I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I completely indulged myself with everything the military has to offer, and I was hooked. I would read magazines, books and watch movies and videos on youtube about what it was like to be a soldier. I would focus on developing a mindset at a very young age through the men in the special forces and how they think and perceive their world. I saw the honor, pride, and discipline that I saw at my brother’s ceremony and I wanted to have those principles in my everyday life. Shot my first Buck I will never forget the first buck I shot, it was an absolute beauty. 12 point buck clean **** from 100 yards with my Uncle’s Ruger. I can’t remember the state that we were in at the time because we were moving around a lot back then, all I remember is that we were in the sticks on some back road. It was my second-day hunting and the day before we didn’t see anything so we were hoping today would be the day. I remember holding my rifle which was bigger than me and being so excited to finally be able to fire it. We hiked for about three miles until we hit this tree that had a post to sit two people in at the very top. My Uncle and I waited there for about 30 minutes, of course, me being at a very young age I was antsy and anxious because of the thrill of the hunt when finally we saw a small herd. There they were, three does and one steady buck. That’s when the adrenaline started to rush through my veins, as my crosshairs kept swaying in and out of the buck my uncle told me to take a deep breath. I lined up my shot, but for a split second, I hesitated when the buck looked at me. This animal looked directly into my eyes from where I was supposed to be invisible. He looked at me. It's almost like he knew where this was going. My uncle says “fire” and I squeeze the trigger. The rifle kicks back and the buck drops, I ****** my first animal. This impacted me as a person because it taught me the value of life. The responsibility and honor to be able to create and end life at will. This made me appreciate nature and was the first of one of my many steps to *******. This specific event I would want to pass down when I have kids because it truly is such a remarkable moment in my life. I want my children and my children’s children to have the same experience and truly know how big it is to take a life. Vincent Paul Barbee I remember the last time I saw Vince, it was at the end of Mr. Wakefield’s class where we were goofing off the entire time and having a blast. We were supposed to hang out the following weekend if his time wasn’t cut so short. I go to class the next morning and I see my teacher bawling her eyes out, all of my peers including me didn’t understand why she was speaking about her nephew in the hospital a couple of days earlier so maybe it was personal. She gets up from her desk and walks to the front of the class, and stops at the podium where she proceeds to read from a sheet of paper. I’ll never forget these words, “Last night at around midnight Vincent Barbee fell from a three-story building and died, “I looked at his girlfriend who was sitting with me at the time and she looked at me, and we just broke down. It was truly one of the saddest times of my life. This impacted my life in such a deep way. It showed me how precious your relationships and friendships are with people and how everything matters. It taught me to be kinder to people because they can be gone just like that in a split second. Vince was an amazing friend and I would joke around and mess with each other all the time, it truly hurt to see him leave so soon. Vince’s ***** was horrible, but if you try to look at it positively, his ***** brought people closer together and caused those who were close with him to appreciate life much more and not take it for granted. Wrestling In high school, I loved contact sports. The mental and physical toughness you need to have to do well and succeed is like nothing else. I loved wrestling because of the team and the ability to learn new moves and skills to overtake your opponent. I remember going to tournaments and seeing guys way bigger and stronger than me in my weight class and facing them in a match and winning. The feeling I get when I hear screams and yells of my teammates cheering me on for every takedown and good move that I do is like no other. I remember practicing six hours every single day 5 days a week without any complaints. Those were some of the best times of my life wrestling every day taught me a lot. Wrestling taught me three things: Number 1, never quit, I don't care how hard or how sucky or how much you think you're going to lose, never quit. Number 2, hard work and work ethic. “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard,” the amount of time and effort you put into your craft will directly show on the mat during a match. If you half-*** your training and don't work hard and mess around then you're going to be punished for it come game time, but if you work hard, double down, and do the absolute most then you're going to succeed. Number 3, how to be a good teammate and a leader. My coach always said Iron sharpens Iron, and what he means by that is yes wrestling is as much as a team sport as any other. I always have to push myself and others around me to do well so that we can become great together. We build off of and work together to be better. Joining the Army Joining the Army is very important in my life. I just joined with my best friend Ethan Verharst in which we enlisted together. He and I have been wanting to do this our entire lives and once we heard about the buddy program that is offered in the military we knew we had to join. We went down to the Del Amo mall where I have been a couple of times before and went right up to the recruiter’s station telling them exactly what we want. See you have to know what you want before otherwise, they are going to put you in the trashiest positions. From there we signed our 11 Bravo Airborne Ranger school contract and went to MEPS that night. Swearing into the force was one of the most memorable times of my life. I'll never forget it. This changed me because it brought me a sense of accomplishment. This was my life goal and it's finally starting to come true slowly, I still have to do well and be proficient in the Special forces schools that I’m going too but it's just the first step to many for a new chapter in my life. I'm just really happy to be able to be doing this with my buddy and going on this long rough road with someone I trust. Influence and Inspirations Older Brother My older brother who was in the marines I would say is one of the biggest influences and inspirations out of the five. The fact that he served in the military and was a combat veteran who has seen many battles and has even gotten wounded was just flat out amazing to me. I saw my brother as a hero, I didn’t know someone related to me could be such a big inspiration in my life and impact me so much. My older brother is probably one of the most important influences in my life. Seeing him serve in the military and be an overall badass made me want to do it too. I dedicated my entire life to me going into special forces and looking forward to doing it. It made me have pride and patriotism for the USA unlike any other. It made me want to do an honorable job as supposed to do a 9-5 work behind a desk thing. Captain America Captain America is a fictional character that takes place in the Marvel Universe. He used to be a small skinny guy but the reason he was selected to become a super-soldier was because of his heart. His character is gold so therefore everything else followed. He would defeat enemies of the world with the USA imprinted on his chest and that star-spangled banner on his shield. He is what every American should aspire to be. I looked up to Captain America ever since I was a child not because of how he could ******* any enemy standing in his way but because he was a true American. He led by example and was a true leader. I look at Captain America as a man I would want to become because of his character and moral compass. Although he is a fictional superhero character I think if we all strived to be like Captain America as a people we would all get along better with each other. Mark (moms bf) Mark Priola is my mom’s boyfriend and has been in our family for just a few years. But within that time I got to see what kind of a man he is. Mark Priola is by far one of the best men I have ever met in my entire life. If I had to compare him to anyone he would be a real-life Captain America minus the soldier aspect. You will always find him doing good to people and for the community, the way he is, his mannerisms and behavior is someone that you would want to follow. A natural-born leader who leads by example. I try to surround myself with good individuals because who you hang out with is in direct correlation with who you are. I try to surround myself with people like Mark because those kinds of people will allow you to grow as a man. Mathew Pech @TheOperationalAthlete Mathew Pech is a great example of a good soldier. This man enlisted when he was 18 became a green beret when he was 19 and shot for the stars. He stayed as a green beret for 17 years before he transferred back into civilian life as a police officer. Mathews’s work ethic and drive and determination are amazing, he taught me the mindset and how you need to perceive the world to become a deadly and effective warrior. I look at Mathew as a symbol of where I want to take my career in the Army. I want to do the hardest thing possible which is to become a green beret because I know if I set a high bar and achieve it I'll fulfill myself. One thing I have noticed about men in the special forces is that they are great people to be around. They are the most humble honorable men that you would want to surround yourself with because they are so great. I wish to become one of them just like Matt Pech. Mom’s Ex-Husband My mom's ex-husband was my biggest negative influence and inspiration. He is a god-awful man that abuses his spouse and family, just an overall horrible guy. I remember he would hit my mom and since he was insecure about his size and height he would come after my brother and me because we were bigger than him. One thing I learned from that guy was to never turn into him. I learned that to be a man like what truly a man is, is a kind person. Someone who is humble but also stands his ground, someone strong-minded yet not stubborn. A man is a person who treats his family with love and the people around him with respect. By seeing the evils of how some people are I learned what I wanted to see myself as. Background circumstances Mixed Race Being mixed was a really weird dynamic in life and especially in my family. I am both half white and half Filipino and sprinkle in a little Hawaiian and tada that's me. Growing up I always stuck out like a sore thumb, every family reunion picture on my Filipino side I look like the only white guy standing there, and at every family reunion on my white side, I look like the only dark-skinned guy. It was a weird dynamic because I did experience snarky comments and judgment on both sides of my family but what I learned was that in the end, it doesn't even matter. As long as I know myself and I'm surrounded by good individuals with a strong moral compass who cares about me, then I'll be set. Friends and family are everything to me, but I also keep my circle tight which is very important in my opinion. Old fashioned values Ever since I was a child I was instilled with the values of what a real man is. How a man brings about himself what he is and isn't supposed to do. For example, my father always used to say, “When you're hurt you should never cry because you should just toughen up and take it. Crying never helped anybody get better so you better break that habit now,” and I’m glad he taught me that. As a man, you should be strong and have pride and take no **** from anyone, but also be humble and treat people with dignity and respect. A man should take charge and lead by example and never step on those below him. I feel like it's important to have strong values and a strong moral compass so that you're mentally right and you're a good person to other people. People who are cruel and just straight-up ***** to other people for no reason aren't real men, the little boys who are insecure about something in their life. Goals for the future My mother ever since I was a child always told me she wanted me to go to college so I don't end up struggling in the future. My mom just wants the best for me and just wants to see my success and in her eyes that by either becoming a doctor, lawyer, or some prestigious position that takes years of schooling. Ever since I was a child I would look at my brother who served and I knew I wanted to become a green beret. That's my life's dream is to become the best of the best part of the elite. I want to put myself in a position where I can challenge myself harder than I have ever done before so that I can prove to myself that I can do anything. Not just anyone can become a green beret and so it's been my lifelong goal to be one of them. I've been around a couple of them and from what I can see they are people you would want to surround yourself with, they are honest humble hard-working Men that you can grow and learn a lot from. Mother Struggling financially Seeing my mother struggle was really hard and took a toll on my childhood. She was a single mother with 3 kids all in school struggling to find their next meal. She was working all day and night and then she would come home absolutely exhausted. I remember we would always try and go to parties and get-togethers and afterward we would take a bunch of plates full of food for home so then we would have something to eat. I know my mom sacrificed a lot for us kids and there's not a day where I don't appreciate it, so seeing her and us as a family struggle I want to give my mom the world whenever I can. I promised her a big diamond ring and a house as soon as I can, as a way of thanks for doing everything she did when we were kids. Seeing her struggle made me tough and learning from her past mistakes wants me to make sure I don't ever want that to happen again for my children. Heritage/culture Cultural heritage is values and traditions passed down from previous generations. I have definitely had my own traditions and values passed down from my parents who got it from their parents and so on and so forth. Cultural heritage is what your parents and grandparents pass down to you that relates to where you come from and your origins. My cultural heritage if I were to explain it comes from the Polynesian islands and the Philippines. If you step foot into my house you can see right away through pictures and painting and decorations where I come from. We have ancient war weapons and instruments like the ukulele and different kinds of drums all around the house. We have an old blow dart that was used in the Philippines by my great great great grandfather to hunt monkeys in the jungle. The dancing form of hula every movement every sway tells a part of the story. Every line triangle shape and direction means something different in poly tattoos. For example, the triangles facing up would mean that your male, and triangles facing down would represent females. Every line would say how many people are in your family or how many generations there have been it all depends on you and the artist. Most/Least Admirable Most Admirable The person I admire the most is Mark Priola. His work ethic and character are unmatched, that man is my biggest inspiration. I love how he doubles down and works hard no matter what and even though his job is super stressful he does it and focuses his energy until he completes it. I really admire people with a strong work ethic and don’t give up no matter how hard or challenging the task may be. Least Admirable The least admirable person in my life is my older brother. He is 23 years old, doesn't have a job, plays video games 15 hours a day and never leaves his room. In my opinion, I feel like in order to become a Man you have to work hard, leave home and go and find yourself. My brother and I are complete opposites, I have no idea how I’m related to him. He’s very introverted and stays inside. I'm very extroverted and I’m never home. He's 23 and lives at home since I was 17 I’ve worked 2 jobs in order to move out. I look at him as an example of what I never want to be in my life and that’s a low testosterone immature boy. How their values affect me Marks’ values affect me in a positive manner because I wish to build my work ethic just like him. His values are what I like to see in myself because I feel like if everyone had his work ethic they would just turn into better human beings and grow as a person. The way my brother’s values affect me is what I don’t want to see in myself. Being super lazy and having no goals is not what I want in my life or the people around me to have, those are bad qualities that I do not respect at all because at the end of the day you’re just weak minded. Strengthsfinder/Personality ENFJ (protagonist) Romantic Relationships My personality test said I was a protagonist ENFJ meaning I’m very outgoing and charismatic. In my life, I have many strengths and weaknesses all of which make up my personality and who I am as a person. For example, in my romantic relationships, some of my strengths are my acts of service and proving to my partner that I am too trustworthy. I like to not say but do and show the person who I am. Some things that I struggle with in relationships is that I don’t like to fight and argue, and so often problems that pick at me I tend to let just slide and don’t worry about them. It can often turn up in later arguments which eventually cause the relationship to become toxic because it has a lot of unsolved problems. Friendships I pride myself on my friendships because they mean the most to me. One of the strengths that I like about myself is how I surround myself only with people that I see benefiting me. I’m a strong believer in who you surround yourself with is who you turn out to be. I choose people that will help me grow as a person as I can help them grow as well and I feel like that’s really important for long-lasting relationships and friendships. My weaknesses are that sometimes when someone in my life I hold onto them for too long and it's hard for me to cut them off. Most of the time it's detrimental to me but in the end, when I do drop them it helps me become better. Workplace Habits I feel like my workplace habits are really good because I’m a strong worker and I support those around me. You will never find anyone who is as hard of a worker as I am because once I have a task and a goal I strive and give it 110% and never stop until I complete it. That is one of my strongest values because I’m stubborn in the way of never giving up no matter what no matter how much it sucks. I feel as if one of my biggest weaknesses can be perceived as one of my biggest strengths and that’s that I don’t know when to stop and give up. Often times the fact that I won’t give up and work hard causes me to do more than I need to or go above and beyond. Credo The Big Picture I believe that life is what you make of it. If you want to have a very boring mediocre life then you will live comfortably and stay grounded, but if you want to live a very adventurous life filled with many new experiences then you can do that as well. When someone asks me “what is the meaning of life?” I always think that the answer is to each their own. What I mean by that is some people really just want to have kids and raise them and that’s their whole life, others would be making money and getting rich that’s their whole meaning, but my meaning is to be the best man and the best version of myself that I can be and try to live as much as possible. I feel like finding happiness and peace within yourself is a big contributing factor within your “meaning” and sometimes it takes people’s whole lives to figure that out. There’s a saying that I remember hearing a while back “everybody dies but not everybody lives.” There was a case study done with 100 elderly people who were close to their final days and they were asked the same question, “that is your life’s biggest regret.” Nearly all of them said they regretted not the things they did, but the things they didn’t do. A place for me I feel like I have many goals and things I want to accomplish before I die which I feel is my meaning in life. The pursuit of adventuring out and achieving those dreams is my meaning, I want to be a great father, a better teammate, I want to serve people through fire-department or law enforcement, I want to serve my country, I want to see the world and go on adventures, doing these things would fulfill me. It's not about the destination it's about the journey and I feel like the journey to doing those things is my meaning in life. I’m just trying to be the best version of myself, and how that looks is by being kind to other people, like a great neighbor and a great friend. There is so much evil and negativity in the world and I feel like if everyone tried to be nice and treat each other with kindness and respect then we would all live happier. Draft Creed Statement The values, principles, and beliefs I stand for most are the American Dream. Meaning you should work hard double down so you can live a happy life and provide for your family and yourself and be a good friend and neighbor to the people you meet. Values and Change I’m very stubborn in the idea that there are no freebies, no shortcuts to life, and that I don’t respect people who are lazy and can't work hard whatsoever. I feel like you will achieve a lot with a good work ethic and if you stick to something long enough and persevere you will reap the benefits and reward. As I grow older I believe my pride and my thoughts on America would never change, a lot of my family members and friends have served and given their life for this country and I can say with full confidence that my values would never change Saying or Big Question “Come hell or high water” Arch Critic My Arch Critic My arch critic’s name is John. John is a boy who is lazy, does a lot of drugs, has no goals in his life, materialistic, and treats people as if they were less than him. He is a person who cants take a joke and is a mega liberal. John hates America and thinks the government should give him everything for free. He has no work ethic because he quits everything that has presented a challenge to him and has a bad relationship with his family. John is the type of guy that you wouldn’t want your daughter to date, John drives a Ford. Not just any Ford though, John drives a Ford fusion and thinks he is hot **** with his 4 cylinder hybrid. John is the person that you would lend an item to him and then he would go out of his way to not bring back the item and then sell it for 5 bucks. John goes out of his way to inconvenience others like purposely step on their lawn when there clearly is a stone path or pavement leading to the door. John is a horrible person. First Encounter with Arch Critic It's 3rd period and the teacher told us we have the entire class period to do the project with the person that’s sitting next to me. My seatmate is John, we haven’t talked much so I thought I'd spark up an interesting conversation to get to know him and have the time pass by “Do you feel people are inherently good or inherently evil?” He looks at me and rolls his eyes, “I feel human beings are inherently evil. I see societies divided by inequality, I mean look at the things happening in Israel: people are bombing each other and ******* kids.” I reply, “Well I feel like people do evil things but I don’t feel like people are born evil, their upbringing and role models shape them to who they are” “What about Hitler,” he asks “what do you say about him and what he’s done to 6 million Jews.” “I feel like Hitlers upbringing is what caused that, a lot of people say well if someone just bought his art then we wouldn't have dealt with a whole world war” “You’re an Idiot, that kind of intent doesn't just come out of nowhere it comes from deep within.” “Stuff like that happens when things go south in someone's life and they lash out aggressively, for example once hitler had a following, he abused his power and took it way overboard.” Arch Critics Letter to Friend Dear Patrick, I am concerned about Miko’s Ideas and thoughts about the military and if his intentions are really noble and just. He claims that he is an advocate about his strong christian values and moral compass but what about “thou shall not ****” isn't that kind of contradictory. If he has a good moral compass as he claims, but the government tells him to go on a mission and he ***** what then. I feel as if he isn't practicing what he preaches and is a big hypocrite. He's going into a job in the military to purposely see combat and go to battle when on the other hand there's a bunch of other jobs he could do that doesn't require him to **** and be a trigger puller. I feel like if he really was who he said he was he would've picked an engineering job or a medic to actually save lives instead of taking them. Hard Evidence I am who I say I am when it comes to my values. I've been working since I was 14 years old making and saving money. My mother has 5 children and we have always struggled so I knew that I wasn't going to burden my mother by asking her for the things I want or being another mouth to feed. I've been buying my own clothes, shoes, most of my food and helping my mother out with rent since I was 16 years old. At that young of an age I was completely independent. I bought my first truck cash the day I got my license because I was saving up for a long time for what I wanted. At 18 years old I moved out and now I'm living with a couple roommates right there on Ave A. Being a good person is very important to me as well, I feel like you are the scum of the earth if you treat people with disrespect as if they were less than you. In every scene or area that I'm in I try to make conversation and show interest into another person's lives whether that is in a classroom or standing in line at Target. By showing kindness and going out of your way to make someone's day with little things like opening the door for them it can really brighten up the world. It cost nothing to be nice to someone and treat them with respect and dignity so I feel if we all did that as a culture and as a people then the world would be a better place. Reflective Essay Everyone has different opinions and views on school but I really like school. I mean I don't really like the stress of quizzes, tests and copying off your neighbor for homework because you had bad time management but I like the part of school where you build relationships with both students and teacher faculty alike. School teaches you that there's people that you're really gonna like and people you're going to absolutely hate, school teaches you the importance of building lifelong friendships and cutting people off. Shores is different from most other high schools and I absolutely love it, smaller classes allow for more personal teacher student relationships which cause the feeling of humanity. Your not just another student who is trying to graduate, your a kid with goals and a future who has a family and friends that you build a relationship with. So back in the beginning of the year I was still enrolled in Redondo Union, but with the news and the teachers and coaches telling me that there wasn't going to be a waterpolo or wrestling season this year (those were my sports that I played) I questioned why I was still in highschool when I could just graduate early. I talked to my counselor and she said if I enrolled and changed schools into Shores then I could get all my credits done really fast and graduate sooner. From then on I was sold, so I transferred into Shores and here I am now. My time at Shores has been amazing. I wish more schools were like this. The only thing that I wish I could change differently is the involvement in Redondo sports while attending Shores high school. One thing I really enjoy which actually happened recently is that they brought the basketball courts back and a lot of the students who wouldn't normally talk to each other are going out there and having fun playing. That is one thing I'm probably going to remember because something as simple as a basketball game can bring a group of people together from different interests, social circles, everything and allow them to hang out and have fun. My relationships I made with my teachers is one thing I will always treasure, the long talks about meaningful stuff in life and also the stupid discussions we have like the stupidity of using a firehydrant instead of a ***. One thing I learned is not to judge a book by it's cover, I always thought about shores in a derogatory way when in reality I come here and I like it way better than normal school. A piece of advice for a junior or incoming person onto the campus would be you are what you make of it. What I mean by that is if you come here with a negative attitude and don’t have the desire to change that, then you will be miserable, but if you come here and build relationships and friendships and enjoy your time then this place is perfect for you. My plan for the near coming future is going off to the military and starting my career there. I really want to accomplish my goals that I have, which is going to special forces in the Army and I'm willing to give my life for that goal. Afterwards I want to go to school and become a teacher and a coach and maybe start a family, who knows but I'm really excited for what the future has in store for me. One thing I will take away from this experience at shores is that there is always a place for everyone. A lot of kids who don't normally do too hot in regular school come here and kick *** whereas over there they would be failing and stressed. I really appreciate shores for allowing me to come here and having a blast and actually be excited to come to school. Interviews Anthony Bridi Started highschool in 1991 at Torrance high school Played football as a cornerback/safety/receiver The spaceship that blew up with a teacher and many other passengers had a huge impact on his life because he was at a young age when it happened and that was his first real world tragedy experience. On fathers side ethnic background is 100% italian and mothers side is czechoslvokian Father was born in 1953 and speaking Italian was taboo back when he was growing up Mothers family was from a mining family and when they moved to minnesota they continued to mine Grandfather met Grandmother at a military dance and it continued down the road in their marriage and became their “thing” His definition of the American Dream is freedom, “work hard play hard”. Being a good person working hard and enjoying life. Learned from his mistakes in highschool, had to overcome his insecurities with his acne After graduating high school his whole goal was to surf every single day which he did Really tried hard in college regardless of his peers which was hard Hillary Greaser Did not do well in highschool and went to school in the 80s Moved out at a really young age and started working full time young Had 1 boyfriend from 16-26 Bought her own apartment and bought a car at 17-18 Berlin Wall coming down was huge to her because she lived in simi valley there wasn't much going on and a chunk of the wall was being brought over by president Ronald Regan Greaser is not spiritual and does not believe in any god, when you die you become “wormfood” She is scared of ***** because she wants to make sure her son is completely okay and stable Her ethnicity is Welsh, Irish and Native American She had a crazy Native American grandma that would dance and chant around her everytime she got sick Being Native American was helpful with paying for college The American Dream for her was the freedom to get out of Simi Valley and be successful Deciding factor for having kids was a spontaneous decision where she woke up in the middle of the night and knew she wanted one, so she went to the doctor and had a invetro After Highschool she became a Veterinarian Technician and worked there for 20 years and then after the kid decided to become a teacher Loves life and doesn't regret a single decision she has made… very content Future Me Dear Miko Hawk, I swear to god you better be making me proud. As of right now your main focus in life is going into the Military to become a ranger, green beret, or a seal, and if you aren't one of those then you failed your goal. You have been working your *** off day and night with Nate Rosen, your best bud, and have been running, going to the gym, putting yourself through hell and back to be prepared to achieve your goal. As of right now you're living with Ethan but you're moving back home the last two weeks before basic training. Ruby Dunmore was your last girlfriend and shes picking up her lizard at your house this Thursday so hopefully you did well and you guys are back on speaking terms. (probably not don't forget she slept with a bunch of dudes at college) As of right now I love to workout, and i'm obsessed with trucks and ****. You just posted on instagram a quote you heard from the movie Lone Survivor “Anything in life worth doing is worth overdoing, moderation is for cowards”. You love America and you want to be a badass and **** bad guys and blow **** up. You spend everyday admiring the guys you workout with (not in a *** way) the former green berets and seals and hope to one day join there ranks. I'm living in Redondo Beach California and if I had to say my definition of the American dream, itd probably go something along the lines of “work your *** off and never ******* quit no matter what. Teach your sons and daughter good values, be the Dad and Father you wish you had, raise them right. Have a happy content life and reap what you sew, all things come to an end so make it good while you still have it.” In 10 years I EXPECT you to achieve your goals in the military, I want you to try and have some little kiddos with a good wife. I want you to buy a house if you already don't have one with some property that you can go shooting on. If you're still in the military, if you're out you have 3 options, go to school, become a teacher and a coach, become a firefighter, become an officer. If you don't have any kids or a wife Monique and Mitch probably would have some so make sure you raise them like your own and take them on fun trips and teach them things. I want you to live back home in the SouthBay or Texas or someplace you can have fun (republican state). Make yourself proud and stay on the straight and narrow, that's all I ask. times are rough and it might not look bright but “this too shall pass” and there's always a positive even if you can't see it right away. You are a warrior, you are a man and you are a good person never forget that.