We used to have a saying in the military. “How dare you not do/know what you were never told.” It was sort of a running joke. It is a common occurrence to get into trouble in any military. It is inevitable for all who have served, currently serving, or plan to serve. Accept it. Get over it. Move on.
We accepted it by frequently joking about the most common cause of trouble. That is….getting into trouble for something you didn’t know or were unaware of the expectation. What do I mean by this?
Example: You were supposed to clean something but no one told you. It was never written down, passed on, spoken in your presence, etc., but someone higher ranking than you wanted you to do it. Maybe they told someone to tell you or maybe they just thought it and it was never actually said aloud or written down. Doesn’t matter. Someone with power expected you to do it and you didn’t. You are in trouble.
Sounds pretty stupid right? Well, that is because it is. Whether you believe me or not makes no difference. This happens every day. It is happening right now. I promise you. A military member somewhere was or is supposed to be doing something they have NO CLUE they are expected to be doing and will be or is in trouble for not doing it.
It didn’t take me long to start laughing about it. There isn’t much you can do unless/until you have the power. Even then, there will always be someone higher ranking to keep the cycle going.
You can’t control everything in life, but you can control how you respond or react to it. Your attitude dictates the true outcome. Sure, there will be some trouble, but you can either whine and complain, or you can laugh and learn.
I choose to laugh and learn. What do you choose?
Journeyman's Legacy 