Geoff has finally managed to cajole his way into the Army. He is canceling his co-op work and starting ROTC next semester, joining for 2 more years after he graduates in June 2008. Short of poisoning him and causing him to have a massive asthma attack, there is little I can do to change this course of events.
I’m happy for him in that he’s found a way to do what he wants to do in a way which will make him happy. I am… somewhat less than thrilled that he’s risking his life in a war started for the sole purpose of expanding presidential authority, but it’s his choice.
My advice to him was this, “Negotiate your position up front. Tell them you’ll join but you want to come in as a Major. Now, in the back of your head, be prepared to take Captain or something. Do they still have Sergeant Major?”
“Dad…They..”
“I’m just saying! It much harder to negotiate after you’ve signed a contract. Do the work up front. You wont regret it it”
“No Dad. I will be a second Lieutenant. That’s how it works”
“Screw that! That how it works for other folks. Negotiate now!”
“No. It’s non-negotiable”
“Really?”
“Yes”
“Oh. Then we’ll go with plan B. I’ll get the paper work started”
“No! What’s plan B? What paper work? No! No!”
“You can’t say ‘No’ before you hear the plan!”
“I can with your plans Dad”
“I’m not sacrificing my only son to presidential power-grabs…”
“Fine! Fine! Not again with this! What’s your plan?”
“It’s simple! We’re going to change your name!”
“No!”
“ You’ll like it, it’s very clever!”
“No!”
“Very clever…!!”
“Colonel Powers”
“I told you I can’t be a Colonel! I’ll be a lieutenant.”
“Yes!, but yout first name will be Colonel! They will call you Lieutenant Colonel Powers! Then later, Major Colonel Powers, then Colonel Colonel…”
“Dad! No!”
"Why not? That one guy chnages his name to Optimus Prime for Christ's sake!"
"... you have a valid point but ..."
“Oh! Wait! Forget that! I have a better idea! We’ll change it to General Relativity! That works even better!”
We debated this pros and cons’ of this a while longer. The name change will not be occurring immediately, but I am still hopeful.
