#heather holt

Dear Gus,

I’m glad Jamie came with me this year. It’s interesting to introduce someone from my everyday world to the world I’ve only entered into once a year for the past three years. 

There are a lot of reasons I joined the military, but one of them was that because I grew up in a small town, in a family that had been around for multiple generations, I felt like my reputation had been decided for me before I was born. People knew I was the son of David & Carla, the grandson of Sid & Elizabeth, and Donald & Alice Marie. Joining the Army gave me a chance to go make a name for myself. No one I met knew my parents or grandparents. I had to convince them of who I was strictly based on my actions from that point forward. I love meeting strangers because I love to prove myself, over and over. If I’m really digging deep, I should probably say that same feeling motivated me to attempt the walk across the country. It’s the same thing when you go to a conference, or a party, or when you enter any other room where you don’t know a soul. 

There’s no reason to be afraid just because you don’t know anyone and they don’t know you. In fact, that’s the reason you shouldn’t be afraid--they have no idea who you are. Show them that you’re a good person who’s quick to laugh. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable. There’s a book in our regular rotation now (that I think Nene got you) that says despite different languages or different religions, people feel pain the same, and they laugh the same, all over the world. Remember that, and you’ll be able to make friends wherever you are, no matter how big the room is, and no matter how many strangers fill it.

Dad