[August 19, 2023] I wouldn’t say I liked school. I never liked school. It’s not that I hated school or was disgusted by it. Going to class every day just wasn’t what I wanted to do. Of course, today, I disapprove of that attitude, it’s not very helpful, and it worked greatly to my disadvantage. Alas, I did not truly understand the benefits of the education system. Like so many kids my age, I was unhappy about being in the classroom (horribly dull for me) and studying (repulsive) and the teachers/professors (tedious and often lacking common sense). My longest-running, haunting life problem was my simple dislike for formal education. Yet, education has one small redeeming value; the many beautiful stories from education. And I loved listening to and experiencing good stories – letters to my granddaughter.
What I did not know at the time, but what I came to appreciate much later, was that the best stories were old, in fact, very ancient. And they did more than tell an exciting story but had something more profound — a message of wisdom for those who would closely listen. The greatest stories were often from the Bible. And while I appreciated them for those particular stories for their spiritual content, l loved them for the most incredible adventures ever told. I would sit as a kid, reading or listening to the teacher, often in awe, as I turned each page or as the teacher would tell us something no one else knew (often in a low voice), and they would excite me and make me smile.
For example, one of my favorites was the Exodus stories of the Israelites out of slavery from Egypt, across the parting of the Red Sea, and into the desert. After years in the desert, the Israelites began worshiping idols and became sinners. God saw this and sent poisonous snakes to bite them as punishment. They went to Moses and requested that he go to God and call off the snakes. Instead of God calling off the snakes, he told Moses to put a bronze snake on a wooden staff and instructed His people to come to see the staff. That way, they would become brave, and the snakes would no longer be feared. A classic lesson in life: look at what you fear, and you will be less afraid.
Success in school required something I found hard to develop in myself, and that was the discipline to conduct myself rightly and find the motivation to do those tasks. And I didn’t know discipline. I wanted the freedom to do as I wished and at any time. I didn’t grasp that only through hard work, study, discipline, and a proper understanding of the academic material could I free myself from the straitjacket of my own uneducated ignorance. I could look at the discipline that I feared and become less fearful. That realization was a lifesaver and got me to see my self-worth was based on adopting responsibility and telling the blunt truth. And that is where my life’s adventure began.
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Fewer and fewer military veterans these days. While we aren’t really into “school” at least we know when we are being propagandized. Public schools today are terrible but there is still a place for public education (with close supervision by parents).
Another excellent and interesting and entertaining post for Gen. Satterfield’s granddaughter. I hope she will appreciate these letters to her. What I am getting most from them is an idea into what influenced and pushed Gen. Satterfield into the US Army and what affected his thinking early in his successful career. He could have been anything in life but he had ideas way before he was a teenager that he wanted to be an “army man” and I do believe it was the right choice.
A wonderful article with love to your granddaughter. ❤
Welcome aboard, Elizabeth and thanks for the ❤.
Excellent job. Fear is the tool that the enemy of the mind used against us to keep us from reaching our goals in life. I watched a show called Fear Factor. The contents had to overcome their fear with that which they were afraid of . FEAR is False Evidence Appears Real. Tell your mind I would not let you stopped me from getting to my destiny.
Eddie, you’re absolutely correct that fear can be a tool of the “enemy of the mind” and used against us. Yeah, I used to watch that show and found it somehow exciting but a bit stupid sometimes (so I quit watching it). But the idea of overcoming fear is what drove many to continue watching. And it is common for us to see those who overcome fear as somehow “cool” and heroic like. The Greeks used to write about this, – altho they didn’t use the word ‘cool’ – and said that those folks who ignored what they could not control were deserving of a certain level of respect.
Yes, well said Eddie and Good Dog. 👀👀👀👀👀👀
Just another wonderful take on boy Gen. Satterfield.
Crazy good, sir.
A boy looking for adventure and finding it. That is the real story here. To seek and find. And that is what a young boy Doug Satterfield has done. We can see for all how that worked out so well for him.
Excellent job my friend. I loved watching the show called Fear Factor the contents had to overcome their fear with that which they were afraid of. Fear is False Evidence Appears Real. This is the tool the enemy the devil 😈 used to hold you from achieving your goals in life. Says to yourself I’m not allowing fear to stopped me from being successful in life. FEAR. False Evidence Appears Real
This para is boss …
“For example, one of my favorites was the Exodus stories of the Israelites out of slavery from Egypt, across the parting of the Red Sea, and into the desert. After years in the desert, the Israelites began worshiping idols and became sinners. God saw this and sent poisonous snakes to bite them as punishment. They went to Moses and requested that he go to God and call off the snakes. Instead of God calling off the snakes, he told Moses to put a bronze snake on a wooden staff and instructed His people to come to see the staff. That way, they would become brave, and the snakes would no longer be feared. A classic lesson in life: look at what you fear, and you will be less afraid.”
We should all learn from the Bible but not just from reading it. It takes someone to help us and Gen. S. has done this here.
Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
😎😎😎😎😎
Sir, a great series and I love them. As a mom, I’m letting you know that you should be proud of your family.
Wow, No. 19 already. I’m really learning a lot about life and about what makes for a great military officer. I don’t see young folks doing these same things as Gen. Satterfield for a lot of reasons. The main takeaway for me is that adversity shapes your personality. And that shaping is a highly motivating drive that can propel someone throughout life as it has done for Gen. S. Sir, keep these articles and expand upon them. I had similar, but different, experiences but very parallel. I think they did me a lot of good.
Gen. S., thanks for another one of your granddaughter series. Addressing ‘school’ and how you did not like it but overcome that to be well-educated and a spokesperson for getting a STEM degree is a positive thing. And, like you think too, college is simply not for most folks. All it does is put them into debt, destroys their confidence, makes them cynical for being lied to that college is THE pathway to a good job and high income and status, and destroys their trust in our institutions. Plus they owe a sh## load of money most of their life for nothing in return.
Well said, jeff. College/Universities are a WASTE of money and time. Go to trade school. Far better, Far more status, and Far more bang for the buck. ✔
If you have money to throw away, then go to college. And, expect to be converted to a progressive left-winger who hates America.
Excellent comments here.
Another super article for your granddaughter. Thanks! Loving the series.
Gen. Satterfield, this one came early. Thank you!
…. and I’m happy it did come early. Thanks Gen. Satterfield for this longer than usual series. Just a note to say we all appreciate these letters to your granddaughter and hope that you come out with a book one day. Just like your other books, I’m sure they will do well. There are many adult lessons here. I just hope folks can figure them out.
Just what I was thinking.
Get a copy of “55 Rules for a Good Life” and you will be happy you did. 📚
Good emoji for books 📚📚📚📚📚
The best series Gen. Satterfield has. Keep them coming our way.
❤