<p>It’s time for every parent and kid out there to stop and focus on what’s really important. I had to phone my son who is away at college and tell him that his good friend was killed in Iraq this morning. He just called me back, ten hours later and still in tears. Life is too short for all of this obsessing about rankings, prestige, and brand name schools. Whatever happened to kids being grateful for what their parents can afford? Whatever happened to kids being grateful for being given the opportunity for a college education despite it not being that of Harvard, Yale, etc.? Everyone out there–please stop to take a moment and count your blessings. When your done–stop and think about the kids your age that are risking their lives everyday as a Marine of the United States of America.</p>
<p>Im sorry to hear that nysmile.</p>
<p>I just saw Body of war last week and listened to the producer lead a discussion afterwards, it features a young man who was paralyzed after his first mission in Iraq.
A young friend of our family is an amputee after his tour in Iraq ( he was a Marine recruiter, & volunteered to go) and could have chosen to stay stateside, but instead chose to return and is there now.
Which I admit- I cannot comprehend-
Thats wrong- I can comprehend it- I can imagine being that passionate about something that I put myself in harms way- but I don’t want to think about the struggles his parents are going through or my belief that our being there is making things worse.
But I agree, perspective means everything & some don’t have any.</p>
<p>What sad news. We can all use a dose of perspective at times.</p>
<p>I recently participated in the Bataan Death March marathon in southern NM. There was a category or participants called the “Wounded Warriors” who were active military who had been wounded in service. There were several (I would guess dozens) of young men and women amputees marching in this marathon. I stopped to talk to one young man along the way who was having trouble with sand in his prothesis. He was a charming, talkative 18 year old boy (my daughter’s age) who had his leg amputated after stepping on a landmind during a recent tour of duty. It really broke my heart to see all these young kids maimed and disfigured. Certainly gave me a dose of reality/perspective on all the things I fret about with my kids.</p>
<p>nysmile- I am terribly sorry to hear of the loss of your sons good friend. May God rest his soul. And I hope today is a better day for your son. It has to be very hard on him.</p>
<p>Thank you for sharing this, it has to make us all stop for a moment and think about all that we have.</p>
<p>Thanks for the reminder, nysmile. So many lost futures.</p>
<p>nysmile, so sorry to hear of this sadness. Prayers and thoughts are with your S and the young man’s family.</p>
<p>“It really broke my heart to see all these young kids maimed and disfigured.”</p>
<p>The remarkable work of the military medical personnel is saving many lives despite severe injuries that would have been fatal in any other conflict. We need to be more aware of the thousands of casualties who are rescued with their lives intact but with terrible physical and neurological wounds. Those kids and their families need as much support as the “gold star” families.</p>
<p>nysmile, so sorry to hear about your son’s friend and your post is 100% on the button.</p>
<p>nysmile - Please accept my deepest sympathy for you, your son, his friend and his friend’s family.
From the bottom of my heart I cannot imagine the grief and despair this young soldier’s family and friends are enduring.</p>
<p><em>hugs</em></p>
<p>Everyone, thank you very much. The hearts of everyone in our town are broken. I can’t even fathom the pain that his family is enduring right now. My son who is away at college is broken up by the news, but deep down he understands that his friend believed in his purpose and died with a heart full of pride. My reason for sharing this story is to put some of what you read on CC in perspective. Perhaps kids reading this will re-evaluate their priorities and begin to understand that success isn’t based on the price tag, prestige, etc. of a school but rather on the work, determination, and drive that they put into it.
RIP…</p>
<p>update: It was a Vehicle Born Improvised Explosive Device VBIED. Truck loaded with explosives was detonated at a security checkpoint.</p>
<p>My deepest sympathies… but I fail to see how this is relevant to college admissions, really. When these terrible things happen, everything else in life will seem less significant–job loss, relationship problems–and yes, colleges-- but these ‘unimportant’ things will still continue to be important in everyday life.</p>
<p>Did you notice this is the Cafe? It’s an anything goes type of sub-forum. Look around at other threads on the front page. Not a whole lot to do with college admissions on THIS page. Some examples: American Idol, Shipping Luggage, Age Difference, Flying Out of Southeast Asia, Kitchen Countertops, just to name a few. This is the appropriate place to share this type of experience, IMO.</p>
<p>nysmile- I appreciate the update and will continue to keep that fine young hero and his family in my prayers.</p>
<p>broought back some Vietnam memories when I was in college. Thank you for sharing and the best to you S. And yes, it really is a good reminder of what is important. Many thanks.</p>
<p>Keshira,
I thought that I explained my reasoning for this discussion in my original post (post #1). Perhaps it wasn’t expressed clearly enough. Whatever the reasoning, we’re all free to think what we may–that’s the beauty of freedom. My intent was to encourage the readers to stop, reflect, and re-evaluate why they feel the way they do about certain things (including the admissions process). Is it the prestige and rankings of the school that determines a student’s success or is it the student and his character, drive, and ambition? I tend to think it’s the latter but as I mentioned before, we are all free to believe what we want.</p>
<p>I just did not see how this young man’s death had to do with “obsessing about prestige and rankings.” I could see how it applies to conflicts and challenges in life in general (as in, they’re less important in context) but less of what it has to do specifically with the importance of prestige and rankings in colleges. Of course I agree that this is the cafe and you’re free to “think what you may.” ^^ But that was just what I thought.</p>