This came up on
“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.” — Theodore Roosevelt
This is a quote that has always been near & dear to my heart. When I worked at DynCorp, I had it up on my whiteboard. I was a full on troublemaker there - I refused to be a mealy-mouthed yes-chick. It was a good reminder every time I had to go toe to toe with management that it was better to fight the good fight and lose than to just sit and do nothing. (Looking back I realize, I rarely lost.)
Given the events of the past month and a half, it’s been incredibly tempting to just go spend the rest of my life under a rock. So, I found it quite interesting that it showed up on my LJ today. I’ll admit, my initial reaction was, “You have GOT to be shitting me. Dare mighty things? Does getting out of bed count?” But it got in my head this morning. And other thoughts started springing to mind…
– I was the Controller of a 37 million dollar organization at the absurd age of 26.
– I was the only one at DynCorp that had the balls to make the call NOT to bid one of the biggest proposals we ever encountered.
– I up and went to London for 10 days in 2000 to visit a friend, just because I could.
– I quit a job with absolutely nothing lined up, along with a divorce at the same time, and I survived with my credit rating , bank account, and sanity intact.
– On a first date, at a shooting range, I blew the crotch out of a target. (Well, *I* thought it was funny.)
– I did the AidsRide and didn’t die, or even puke.
– I have called bullshit on many a senior executive over the years, and never been fired for it.
– I closed over 500 calls this month.
– The folks I work with think I am cool, funny and smart.
– I can pull off a miniskirt and combat boots.
– I drink Guinness and drive a Jeep, dammit.
My parents would be incredibly pissed at me if I went and hid under a rock now. So, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go storm San Juan hill now.
