A Letter to Reply
After some thought, and the first few sips of a something and tonic, this is how I feel about your criticism: Everything you wrote is true. My job is respectable and I do have a tremendous life for which I need to be grateful, everyday. I was not forced to join and beyond that I am an adult capable of rational thought. This was my choice and one that I was excited to make. I would go on to say that I understand the value of my work and that I am happy and proud to make this contribution to my country. I am a patriot and believe unwaveringly in the ideas, philosophies, and minds that were strong enough to create the United States of America.
However….when I made the choice to join I had no concept of what I was giving up. I lived with art and didn’t understand how necessary it was to me because I didn’t know a world without it. During no part of my life had I been without creativity and wit and invention being thrust upon me. I literally woke up one morning to dented steel furniture, white high-gloss walls, drop ceilings, and florescent lights. The architecture was a mirror of the mindset. In the Navy creative problem solving is a valued attribute but creativity as a stand-alone is not. When I interject my own brand of creativity into my work environment, for the most part, it is viewed with suspicion and mistrust. But creative is who I am and so I feel everyday like I’m quietly scolded for my make-up. Creativity is how I grow as a person and this is the first time in my life I’ve felt stagnant. I’d like to remind you that you’re proud of the faux finish you painted on your walls not only because it is attractive but also because you were part of their creation. Involvement in that process made your life richer. You know of what I write.
It’s true that if I keep my eye on the big picture that the picture only gets bigger and bigger. Believe me when I write that I understand how unimportant I am. I believe, with everything that I have, that by the nature of being human we are all equal. The extension of that belief is that my problems, no matter how pressing or insignificant, hold no higher value than any others. Furthermore, I do know how little I have to complain about. It’s just that sometimes I become tired of keeping quiet and so I started writing on this page so I would have a place to put my rants.
I haven’t written this letter in argument. I know that you are right. I’ve written it with the hopes that if you understand you won’t be disappointed in me and that maybe you will get to know me a little better.
With thought and affection as I take a deep breath,
Jessica
However….when I made the choice to join I had no concept of what I was giving up. I lived with art and didn’t understand how necessary it was to me because I didn’t know a world without it. During no part of my life had I been without creativity and wit and invention being thrust upon me. I literally woke up one morning to dented steel furniture, white high-gloss walls, drop ceilings, and florescent lights. The architecture was a mirror of the mindset. In the Navy creative problem solving is a valued attribute but creativity as a stand-alone is not. When I interject my own brand of creativity into my work environment, for the most part, it is viewed with suspicion and mistrust. But creative is who I am and so I feel everyday like I’m quietly scolded for my make-up. Creativity is how I grow as a person and this is the first time in my life I’ve felt stagnant. I’d like to remind you that you’re proud of the faux finish you painted on your walls not only because it is attractive but also because you were part of their creation. Involvement in that process made your life richer. You know of what I write.
It’s true that if I keep my eye on the big picture that the picture only gets bigger and bigger. Believe me when I write that I understand how unimportant I am. I believe, with everything that I have, that by the nature of being human we are all equal. The extension of that belief is that my problems, no matter how pressing or insignificant, hold no higher value than any others. Furthermore, I do know how little I have to complain about. It’s just that sometimes I become tired of keeping quiet and so I started writing on this page so I would have a place to put my rants.
I haven’t written this letter in argument. I know that you are right. I’ve written it with the hopes that if you understand you won’t be disappointed in me and that maybe you will get to know me a little better.
With thought and affection as I take a deep breath,
Jessica
posted by Jessica at 20:28
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