Be honest.
Plan for your children’s future.
Apologize to those you failed.
Respect education.
Focus on genuine service.
Never assume that others owe you something.
Community isn’t an abstraction.
Nothing lasts forever.
Eric Stephenson served in Alpha Company, 2/75th Ranger Battalion from 1982 to 1987. He has taught English at various colleges and universities since 1998 and is the publisher and editor-in-chief of US Represented, as well as a contributing writer.
