The Choice to Serve
Posted on May 04, 2020 by Gina DeRosa, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
In honor of Veteran's Day, this blog post was inspired by how my Grampy, a WWII veteran, helped me find my own way to be of service to others.
(Original blog post from 11/10/2019. See all posts on Sixth Gear Series’ site.)
“I am but one small instrument.” – Jimmy Eat World
Thank you to each of you who is currently serving or has served the United States in any of the uniformed services. I am in awe at the sacrifices that you and your loved ones have made and am humbled by your steadfast strength and courage.
In Goodbye Sky Harbor, a song by Jimmy Eat World, Jim Adkins croons, “I am but one small instrument.” Those lyrics have resonated with me ever since I first heard them during my broodier days as a college freshman, when I was trying to figure out what purpose I would serve in the world after graduation.
During that time, I considered joining ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps). I longed for admission to a group that provided camaraderie, structure, discipline, and most of all: the opportunity to serve my country, as several of my relatives had. I admired their willingness to sacrifice everything because of their determination to serve a greater purpose beyond their own selves, families, and communities, and the military platform seemed to be the best way to have a positive impact on as many people as possible. At that point in my life, Grampy was my primary example of this.
Grampy, my Mom’s father, was a World War II veteran who fought in the Battle of the Bulge and received a Purple Heart. He never talked much about his experiences until his latest years and he often covered up his fading tattoos from those darker days, yet he demonstrated unwavering pride in his service by marching in his local Memorial Day parades, attending scores of Army conventions all over the U.S., and so much more. I looked up to him because he embodied enviable attributes that I assumed he had acquired through his service, so of course I wanted to make him proud, and I couldn’t wait to see his gigantic, beautiful smile take over his face when I told him that I was considering ROTC.
I never got the smile. He kindly but swiftly talked me out of ROTC with a surface explanation about how women are not treated well in the military, and then expressed a deeper concern that I could actually lose more than I would gain given the political climate at the time. I went back to school a bit confused but trusting his advice. Within several months of that conversation, our country was devastated by the events of 9/11.
Through graduation, I harbored guilt about not pursuing ROTC because of all of the post-9/11 events that unfolded, as I freely walked campus complaining about the snow while soldiers and first responders continued to risk life, limb, and more to keep me safe in my bubble in upstate New York. However, as time passed, I gained perspective on how else I could be of service to others, and I started to wonder if Grampy had some celestial insight into my life’s purpose that was yet to be seen.
Like many choice points in our lives, I reflect on the ROTC decision with gratitude for having the option to make the choice at that point on my personal and professional journey and with reflection of things that I have been able to do and be as a result of all subsequent choices. I know now that my purpose is to drive the human potential movement forward by helping others to leverage their strengths and share their gifts with the world. So, I guess you could say that I’m fighting for others on the front lines of their individual battles and with a different uniform and strategy than Grampy’s, but with the same intention to be the best instrument I can be, no matter how small my impact may seem.
