Good morning, folks.
Over the holidays, I had the idea to introduce an audio option to the blog, for your convenient indulgence of whatever it is that I write.
I get it - we all lead busy lives, and not everyone has the luxury of 5 - 25 minutes to read the long-form articles that you guys get in your inboxes every other Thursday.
This way, you can listen to whatever it is I write on your drive to work, while you’re cleaning the house, etc. All the usual circumstances in which you’d listen to a podcast or audiobook or something.
On the topic of podcasts - No, I don’t have any plans to start a podcast, just because I bought an actual microphone and am dabbling with a listening option for my content. However, I do plan on starting an interview series sometime in 2025 for this blog. If you read my last article, Strivers and Existers, you read that I am absolutely blessed to know some ridiculously impressive people in my life, that I selfishly would love the opportunity to get to know even better and learn more about, and I think that you guys would, too. From NFL players, to Federal law enforcement and military heroes, to successful entrepreneurs, and a bunch of unique personalities in between, I’m spoiled with some very interesting friends, mentors, colleagues, and even family members. I would love to be able to share their stories with you - so, be on the lookout for that interview series to start sometime in 2025.
Without further ado, I wanted to introduce the audio option with an interesting listen, rather than just making you listen to me ramble on about my future plans with my new microphone. In my head, now that I have a mic, I’m magically going to sound like Liev Schreiber narrating Hard Knocks.
I wanted to kick things off with something that can be read a little more powerfully than just prose, if that makes sense, so I’m going to read the poem that I wrote in Ranger School and wrote an article about a few weeks ago.
I titled the poem, “A Quitter I am Not.”
Here goes nothing.
“25 years have come and gone,
and with each passed I learn a bit more
of the man that I’ve been,
who I am now,
and who God has in store.
I’ve adorned many faces,
tried on several suits,
and ventured down quite a few roads.
In a young man’s attempt to “find himself,”
I’ve been lost plenty of times,
and it showed.
I’ve been less than reliable,
morally pliable,
to the bottom, and close to the top -
I’ve been many things,
but what I know for certain is
a quitter I am not.
My life’s been full of fortune,
sometimes lucky, sometimes earned
but it’s not all sunshine and rainbows it’s been said,
and I have learned.
Most all victory comes from struggle,
for most ups, there is a down.
You have to fight to keep your head up in life’s waters,
or you may drown.
The path from “start,” to what’s desired is seldom a straight shot…
so when the going’s tough, remind yourself that
a quitter I am not.
You are bound to stumble, fall short, and fail
but don’t ever stay long in this spot…
dust yourself off, press on, and recall, that
a quitter I am not.
With much life left ahead, there will surely be trials
countless pitfalls that I’ve given no thought…
but I know I’ll defeat them and keep driving on, for
A quitter I am not!”
If you enjoyed the new audio format, please give me some feedback in the poll below - If you know me, you know that I’m relentlessly on the search for ways to improve all areas of my life, and this blog is no exception.
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Thanks as always for reading, and for the first time ever, thanks for LISTENING!
Until next time,
Reid
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