Letter to a Injured Pre-Soldier in Marine Boot Camp

This morning I heard about your minor set-back. But I hope you're not too worried champ. I know you can make it through. Sometimes I wonder about set-backs and why they happen at all, but that's a lot of life, and being human, and it's how you play when you're down that really counts.

As for me, I hate interviewing. I went all the way to Newark this morning to meet with a lawyer at an immigration law office. Two hours on the train, and a half an hour walk later, I found myself trapped in a room with an interviewer getting his kicks by throwing condescending jabs at an unsuspecting candidate for an internship. By about 10 minutes into the interview, I wanted to press the mute button and go on home. I had to listen to him for an hour instead and missed the earlier train back. I would have to be very desperate to work there -- very desperate or just plain masochistic.

Last night I got 3 hours of sleep because I was up writing a paper in Spanish. I sent my resume to this amazing international human rights place in D.C. -- which then wanted a formal writing sample on a human rights issue in Spanish.

I said sure -- I have scads of free time.

I said, why not? I haven't written a formal paper in Spanish in 3 years, but how hard could it be?

I said, I love working hard for things I probably won't get, and since I don't already have enough to do, I could really take on another daunting task.

It took me a week to get around to writing it, and I'm not even sure that they want it now. But I'll tell you what: I put my heart and soul into the grammar of that piece of art.

In the world of law school, I feel pretty good about all my classes, but they're still a lot of work. I have an outline of my final paper due this coming Monday, and I'll probably be awake all weekend working on it.

Suffice to say -- getting what you want is hard work -- in law school, in the Marines and in life in general.

So you-- I hope you're not too discouraged. While I really can't imagine what it's like to be you right now, I know it must suck to be held back and waiting. But you will make it through, and even if the set-back never ever seems to have been with good reason or to have done you any great service, at least you can take a step back and say: they're isn't a doubt that I'm human, and I have pulled through with magnificent grace.

Heal up real fast, brother Dave. Heal up.

Love,

Michelle