Virtue #10 - ???

Mark Mireles has given us nine Warrior Virtues that I have tried to apply to Sheepdogs and Master Teachers.  To understand the tenth virtue, Mireles reminds us of an old Greek aphorism, "know thyself."(p. 67)  The Greeks knew that introspection was needed to internalize what they learned.  So it is with us.  Some of the best ways to teach is to use open-ended questions that force the student to bend their minds to increase their understanding.  In the Bible, these types of questions were called parables.  It is in this spirit that Mireles leaves the tenth virtue blank.  It is for each person to come up with their own tenth virtue.

Mireles describes a pair of ill-fitting wrestling shoes that taught him his virtue.  He realized that nothing will ever be perfect in the ring, and later in life, yet a Warrior will always give his best, no matter what position they find themselves in.  He wore those shoes until they fell apart to remind him of that lesson.

My epiphany came on September 20, 2002, when a tornado touched down near my elementary school.  When it ripped off some rooftop ventilators, and children and teachers began screaming, I found myself immediately running toward the tornado.  Later, I would wonder why.

The realization I came to was not that I was afraid of not fulfilling my responsibility, nor was I afraid of being seen as cowardly, even though those played a small part in it.  I was afraid of losing my people.  The emotion driving that fear was, and continues to be, love.

When I am giving responsibility for people, whether they be children or adult, I cannot see them as a burden, I see them as people worthy of my life.   That requires love.  "No greater Love than this, that a man lay down his life for others." (John 15:13)

What is your tenth virtue?

Virtue #8 - Bravery

Bravery is the one most people think about when there is talk of Warriors.  Most dream of being brave when the time comes.  Mireles calls it the "sexy icon" of the Warrior.  I have yet to meet a person that doesn't hold bravery in high esteem.

Mireles uses the story of Lenny Skutnik to illustrate his point.  Lenny was a federal office worker who happened to see a tragedy unfold on his way home.  The year was 1982, and Air Florida Flight 90 had crashed into the Potomac River, killing all but five people.  One of the survivors was a flight attendant, who was floundering in the icy waters as a helicopter tried to rescue her.  Enter Lenny, who doffed his coat and shoes, and dove into the icy water.   He swam out, dove down into the river, pulled the flight attendant back up, and helped her into the harness from the helicopter.  The few words here cannot adequately describe the bravery shown by Mr. Skutnik.

Mireles emphasizes what I think is a key point.  He said that Skutnik acted without any obligation to do so.  Or did he?  This is a key question for the Warrior, the Sheepdog, and the Master Teacher.  Do we have an obligation to help others?  Is their a moral obligation to choose to help others?

For the Warrior, the answer is yes.  It is a choice.

Virtue #6 - Testing

In Warriors, Mireles starts off his comments on Testing by writing, "A Warrior tests himself everyday to hone his skills physically, mentally, and spiritually, in a disciplined ritual of rigorous training that defines who he is." (p.63)  This is also true for the Sheepdog and the Master Teacher.

Warriors are constantly honing their combat skills through drills, exercises, and personal workouts.  Their goal is to be the last man standing.  While the goals of the Sheepdog are different, they also hone their skills through drills, exercises, and personal workouts.  While the Warrior's personal workouts include physical conditioning and weapons training, the Sheepdog researches the latest in emergency preparedness/response methods.  The Master Teacher reads professional journals, attends conferences, and is constantly seeking to hone their teaching skills.

While Warriors, Sheepdogs and Master Teachers may test their skills against others, their true competition is with themselves.  It does not mean that they cannot work with others.  Often they are at their best when doing so, and in the case of the Sheepdog, their work cannot be done alone.  However, Mireles warns that if they do what they do in order to prove something to someone else, their work will have a negative effect.  A Warrior does what needs to be done, because it has to be done.  There is no room for self-serving in the work of protecting others.

Push yourself.  Always strive to be better than you are.  You are needed at your best.