So the plan was for me to be in Florida by now. I was actually scheduled to be on a plane right now to move. Unfortunately, my face is broken, my jaw really, and now I am wired shut for a while. These circumstances keep me in Madison. I do not know for how long I will be around but it is nice to have more time with my friends at the UW.
As I am stuck with my mouth shut, it has forced me to do some thinking. Thinking about life, relationships, and those things that matter most. As I was preparing for graduation and commissioning I tried not to do the "this is my last..." conversation with myself. I avoided it like the plague in fact because I had seen too many people do it for everything. "This is my last Tuesday before a test", "this is my last Thursday night where I'm gonna eat T-Bell". I hated it. I determined that I would not be one of those sappy, crying-face seniors that would get all worked up over nothing.
Then the weirdest thing happened. I missed it. My senior (and a half) semester flew by. Before I knew it, it was over. It hit me hardest when I had my last fraternity chapter meeting. The friendships that I had cultivated over 4 years, the men that I had met, and the experiences that I had there literally changed my life. That first year at school, the fraternity is what kept me from quitting. And standing there before my Brothers saying goodbye, I realized that I was going to miss it. I was going to miss the stupid fights, the drunken beer pong matches, and the sense of family that comes with living with a group of guys for four years.
Many people look down on fraternities because they think that its a group of drunken college boys being jackasses together. And for some fraternities that may be the case. But as with all stereotypes, there may be some extreme true examples but for the most part the stereotype is proven wrong over and over again by the vast majority. This is the case with my fraternity, the Sigma Pi chapter at UW Madison. From the very beginning, what drew me to it was the sense of family and brotherhood that I experienced there. I have cried and laughed and done absolutely nothing with these men. The truest expression of friendship is to spend a day doing absolutely nothing with someone and being completely comfortable.
The men in my fraternity are the best and truest that I know. Their character is the best I've seen. When I joined, 9 of the original 40 Founding Fathers (including me) were members of the military. It is often said that the bond that is forged in battle creates an esprit de corps that forms those men into a band of brothers. This relationship is hard to find anywhere else, but I think that I have found something similar. The guys I have met will be in my wedding, they will be there when my kids are born, and they will be at my funeral. I love these guys. They are my truest brothers.
IF you are looking for a stereotype to break look no further than fraternities. The next time you meet someone who says "Yeah, I'm in a frat", take the time to get to know them. Chances are they may surprise you. The friendships they cultivate, the leadership they possess, and the sincerity of character are sure to turn the most cynical skeptic.
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I was thinking last night that this will be our first semester having rush events w/out you. You were so good at putting everything into words.... to make people understand that a "frat" and a "fraternity" are two completely different organizations. You were such an asset to bringing in the best and the brightest.
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