So I finally managed to see The 300. It was everthing I hoped for. If you are mildly sadistic or a teenage boy, I'm sure you enjoyed it greatly. If you are a scholar of the classics, you were probably more than mildy dissapointed at the historical inaccuracies--even though the movie was an adaptation of a comic book that was itself not meant as an exact history of the Battle of Thermopylae.
As my brother so brilliantly put it, it is not a war movie but a warrior movie.
If you are or admire/respect the Warrior, then the word Thermopylae itself gives you chills. Although there is much to faut in the Spartan's society, the movie highlighted all that was good and honorable within it.
I've worked with the modern day equivalents of the warrior elite and it is truly an honor. Their example inspires me to take on greater challenges and responsibilities. I would hate to look back and wish I could have been like them. If nothing else, this trip is a step in that direction.
I don't like the feeling I get when I see people back from doing things while I was sitting at my desk the whole time. But I do my little part to make it happen, and that part will grow with time, training, and experience.
I also saw Team America again. It seemed fitting.
Those of you who know me know that there is a military/police oriented bulletin board web site that I frequent. It has been and continues to be a great networking tool. Last night I got the chance to meet someone else in person. Always fun.
And I may have found a new scheme to improve the training opportunities available to my troops back home. It is a minor obsession of mine. I promise that the obstacles we face have nothing to do with war planning and everything to do with bureaucracy. I guess you could blame it on war planning from World War II when this whole system became entrenched.
Also, for those who are curious, I'm thinking the Security Assistance office at the State Department would be an interesting place to work. I think it would be fun to be the bull in the china shop that resides in Foggy Bottom. But it in a constructive and productive manner. Security Assistance programs, USAID, and Public Diplomacy are the keys to winning the War on Terrorism.
Stay tuned for the next installment of what I want to do when I grow up.
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1 comment:
that's the first thing anyone has said about the 300 that actually made me want to see it. Going to see spiderman on imax tonight, I'll report back. And in case you were wondering, everyone I met in Foggy Bottom seemed interesting and actually pretty intelligent - you could do worse. Thanks for keeping up the posts!
JGC
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