[Music] like beautiful he was perfect so we had
like beautiful he was perfect so we had
like beautiful he was perfect so we had another it was amazing
another it was amazing
another it was amazing [Music]
[Music]
[Music] and they’re perfect
and they’re perfect
and they’re perfect sometimes in a perfect but let’s be
sometimes in a perfect but let’s be
sometimes in a perfect but let’s be honest right well somewhere between baby
honest right well somewhere between baby
honest right well somewhere between baby boy number one and maybe plate number
boy number one and maybe plate number
boy number one and maybe plate number four I realize I have great parents
four I realize I have great parents
four I realize I have great parents they spent a great example but big
they spent a great example but big
they spent a great example but big responsible for four kids responsibility
responsible for four kids responsibility
responsible for four kids responsibility so my great books I talked to family I
so my great books I talked to family I
so my great books I talked to family I talked to friends and what I’ve actually
talked to friends and what I’ve actually
talked to friends and what I’ve actually realized that’s the most important job
realized that’s the most important job
realized that’s the most important job in the world but we’re all clues so cut
in the world but we’re all clues so cut
in the world but we’re all clues so cut up tackle this accomplishment I decided
up tackle this accomplishment I decided
up tackle this accomplishment I decided to start reflecting on my experiences
to start reflecting on my experiences
to start reflecting on my experiences I’m from a small town in northern
I’m from a small town in northern
I’m from a small town in northern Michigan called
Michigan called
Michigan called Michigan when I say small I mean really
Michigan when I say small I mean really
Michigan when I say small I mean really small 299 people small no fast food
small 299 people small no fast food
small 299 people small no fast food restaurants no stoplights in these small
restaurants no stoplights in these small
restaurants no stoplights in these small town America and I loved my small town
town America and I loved my small town
town America and I loved my small town but when I got to high school I decided
but when I got to high school I decided
but when I got to high school I decided I wanted the biggest most life-changing
I wanted the biggest most life-changing
I wanted the biggest most life-changing experience I can find so I went to West
experience I can find so I went to West
experience I can find so I went to West Coast for the United States Military
Coast for the United States Military
Coast for the United States Military Academy here’s me as a West Wing cadet
Academy here’s me as a West Wing cadet
Academy here’s me as a West Wing cadet if you’re not familiar with West women’s
if you’re not familiar with West women’s
if you’re not familiar with West women’s military school in upstate New York we
military school in upstate New York we
military school in upstate New York we had to wake up early to make are meant
had to wake up early to make are meant
had to wake up early to make are meant to shine our shoes we participated in
to shine our shoes we participated in
to shine our shoes we participated in military training exercises we’ve
military training exercises we’ve
military training exercises we’ve learned homewards duty honor and country
learned homewards duty honor and country
learned homewards duty honor and country don’t character we did all this I’ll
don’t character we did all this I’ll
don’t character we did all this I’ll take a full load of academic classes
take a full load of academic classes
take a full load of academic classes focus
focus
focus [Music]
[Music]
[Music] this is a family we call that
this is a family we call that
this is a family we call that to Plumstead and everything we do good
to Plumstead and everything we do good
to Plumstead and everything we do good bad or indifferent we do as a family
bad or indifferent we do as a family
bad or indifferent we do as a family unit as team closes I became a soldier
unit as team closes I became a soldier
unit as team closes I became a soldier and deployed to Afghanistan I wasn’t
and deployed to Afghanistan I wasn’t
and deployed to Afghanistan I wasn’t sure what to expect
it would be super intensive we would see
it would be super intensive we would see combat every single dick another part of
combat every single dick another part of
combat every single dick another part of a thought maybe it would just be a
a thought maybe it would just be a
a thought maybe it would just be a humanitarian mission and and we wouldn’t
humanitarian mission and and we wouldn’t
humanitarian mission and and we wouldn’t ever see once I got there I realized
ever see once I got there I realized
ever see once I got there I realized we’d experience it all good in that
we’d experience it all good in that
we’d experience it all good in that here’s me with some of the brave
here’s me with some of the brave
here’s me with some of the brave soldiers I was able to service so in
soldiers I was able to service so in
soldiers I was able to service so in Afghanistan we lived in mud huts we
Afghanistan we lived in mud huts we
Afghanistan we lived in mud huts we drink chai we don’t with our hands every
drink chai we don’t with our hands every
drink chai we don’t with our hands every sit-down with the Afghan others try to
sit-down with the Afghan others try to
sit-down with the Afghan others try to figure out how to bring peace and
figure out how to bring peace and
figure out how to bring peace and stability to the area these men have all
stability to the area these men have all
stability to the area these men have all grey beards Stefan is Mussolini players
grey beards Stefan is Mussolini players
grey beards Stefan is Mussolini players in the nineteen eighties against the
in the nineteen eighties against the
in the nineteen eighties against the Soviets we talk about politics we talk
Soviets we talk about politics we talk
Soviets we talk about politics we talk about religion we talk about the history
about religion we talk about the history
about religion we talk about the history of Afghanistan and how we could
of Afghanistan and how we could
of Afghanistan and how we could potentially bring peace to the area in
potentially bring peace to the area in
potentially bring peace to the area in some days we did have communitarian
some days we did have communitarian
some days we did have communitarian missions some days we would go to the
missions some days we would go to the
missions some days we would go to the local medical clinic or to the school
local medical clinic or to the school
local medical clinic or to the school try to make sure they had enough
try to make sure they had enough
try to make sure they had enough supplies other days our mission was to
supplies other days our mission was to
supplies other days our mission was to go fight the end we learned what it was
go fight the end we learned what it was
go fight the end we learned what it was like to enjoy IEDs we learned what it
like to enjoy IEDs we learned what it
like to enjoy IEDs we learned what it was like to be on the receiving end of
was like to be on the receiving end of
was like to be on the receiving end of mortar fire we learned what it was like
mortar fire we learned what it was like
mortar fire we learned what it was like to be on the receiving end of a p-47
to be on the receiving end of a p-47
to be on the receiving end of a p-47 fire with someone dark days reflecting
fire with someone dark days reflecting
fire with someone dark days reflecting on
on
on [Music]
[Music]
[Music] myself to these other kids because we
myself to these other kids because we
myself to these other kids because we [Music]
[Music]
[Music] try to say all four years but it’s okay
try to say all four years but it’s okay
try to say all four years but it’s okay because failure is part of the journey
me to be a dead to those four boys you
me to be a dead to those four boys you see I found hard work I bet you brother
see I found hard work I bet you brother
see I found hard work I bet you brother I value courage and I value the
I value courage and I value the
I value courage and I value the willingness to fail this is my parenting
willingness to fail this is my parenting
willingness to fail this is my parenting style does this mean my kids are gonna
style does this mean my kids are gonna
style does this mean my kids are gonna be mixed martial arts fighters and
be mixed martial arts fighters and
be mixed martial arts fighters and football players and soldiers holding
football players and soldiers holding
football players and soldiers holding lightning but most likely not learn to
lightning but most likely not learn to
lightning but most likely not learn to find their own experiences but I’m gonna
find their own experiences but I’m gonna
find their own experiences but I’m gonna support them when they go to look for
support them when they go to look for
support them when they go to look for those new experiences but I have a
those new experiences but I have a
those new experiences but I have a responsibility to use my experiences to
responsibility to use my experiences to
responsibility to use my experiences to guide me as their father
guide me as their father
guide me as their father you see I learned that courtesy is about
you see I learned that courtesy is about
you see I learned that courtesy is about Satan right things reading the right
Satan right things reading the right
Satan right things reading the right books or getting the right piece of
books or getting the right piece of
books or getting the right piece of advice parenting’s up up using our
advice parenting’s up up using our
advice parenting’s up up using our experiences to guide us through the
experiences to guide us through the
experiences to guide us through the process so my challenge to you is this
process so my challenge to you is this
process so my challenge to you is this let’s all stop looking for those perfect
let’s all stop looking for those perfect
let’s all stop looking for those perfect answers then realize we already have the
answers then realize we already have the
answers then realize we already have the tools me thanks
”
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