Sir, Help This Midshipman

We got a really cute letter from John a few days ago. First, let me report that he is having a GREAT TIME at the United States Naval Academy. That is direct quote. He is doing fun, dangerous things while exercising past the point of exhaustion, and being scrutinized and yelled at all of the time. Sounds like my idea of a great time. He came up with this little list on Sunday which is his only day to have any personal time during the week. He says that Sunday is his favorite day of the week now. I remember when he was a little boy and he used to cry on Saturday because the next day would be Sunday. My, how your perspective changes when you grow up. So about the list.

You know you are an LDS plebe when...

You Square the sacrament.

You find yourself addressing the Lord as Sir when you pray.

You ask the Lord to "help this midshipman make it through another day."

You check to make sure there are no detailers around before you sing yourself a hymn in your room.

You sneak your scriptures into you rack to read them after taps.


Plebes have special rules. They have to chop through the dorm. That means they have to run. They have to eat square meals, which means they have to sit at the edge of their seats, sitting very strait. The fork or spoon is brought straight up. When it reaches mouth level it is brought, via a 90 degree angle into the mouth. It would have to be awkward. But John does not know if he will be able to eat normally again. He says that he personally does not square the sacrament, but he saw other plebes do this at services. I don't know. I will be seeing him in a few days when we go to Annapolis for Plebe Parent Weekend. We will attend church with him and I will be looking for this.

I am just impressed that he is going to church, he is praying, he is singing hymns, and he is reading his scriptures. He is doing this of his own free will and choice when mom is not reminding him or rewarding him. Wow! No wonder his brother Jeff nicknamed him John the Revelator.