Want it Easy?

8.

The small group of spirited mercenaries take a short break. As they unscrew water bottles and unwrap energy bars, their leader addresses a favorite topic. 

“Let’s be crystal clear on this, once we all, in united and unanimous consensus, agree that the challenge is the road along the path required by the objective, what many still consider to be 'the goal', we will then be able to move forward as a team, not as a collection of individuals all wanting to be the star of the team, or with varying definitions of the primary directive. This creates problems that, while real, do not need immediate attention today, we’ll get to those issues soon enough. Simply put, united we stand, divided we fail.” 

There is some nodding of heads along with the few avuncularly jutted chins indicating that additional information might be necessary. The captain notices these quickly and moves to address.

“Let’s take a look at what we have already accomplished this morning, as an example. We have traversed close to twenty clicks in the dark, stealthily, with full packs and heck, even forded a river to get to this place, these very coordinates, have we not?” 

Several hoo-rahs amid polite golf claps answer to the affirmative. 

“We have.”

"But let's take a quick vote, just this one time because I don’t want any of you to start thinking that this might be a democracy, so please enjoy the act we defend. Here is the debate: How many of you consider the hardship, challenge and temporary suffering we all just endured…to…be…fun?” The group laughs as the captain exaggerates the final three words in a trilling crescendo, grinning like a lunatic as ‘fun’ caps the aria. 

Crickets.

Every one of them assumes it to be a trick question. Fun, are you kidding, that was painful, being the most popular knee-jerk silent response. 

“No one thought that was even the slightest bit rewarding or enjoyable?” 

Saunders volunteers a sheepish, “Well, sir, it was kinda fun inna weird sort of way, rewarding certainly, we did make it, so that is almost fun, sir.” 

“Maybe we can look at it from another perspective, and thank you Saunders for your response. Of course, it is natural to become "fed up or frustrated” with some of the worst conditions of physical life, or in our case, training and physical readiness. Yet the fun of it is in embracing a perspective that allows us to look into the face of those conditions and demonstrate Who We Are in spite of them.”

Another round of golf-claps and head nods. 

“Around here, we intentionally create challenge and obstacles as tests. To precisely determine who you are as you fight through the darkness, over the river, up the hill to the rendezvous point, ten minutes ahead of the scheduled meet time. We have done that successfully. You are victorious.”

Serious shouts of accomplishment and several fist-bumps. 

“So tell me. Could it be that fun is not so much defined as the absence of challenging situations, but rather as the absence of any anger about doing them?” 

Wide eyes and arched brows.

“Do you want it easy?”