Getting Ready Morally (1951)

[Music] you know they say it takes all sorts of people to make up a world maybe so chances are that so far you haven't met very many different kinds your family and friends the people at school and church they're all pretty much the same kind of people but when you go into service you're going to meet new people different kinds of people and one of the people you're going to meet is you yes when you leave leave home and go into service you're going to come face to face with yourself how do you see yourself what kind of guy are you some fellow see themselves as big shots almost single-handedly defending the nation some see themselves as Cut Loose from home free to forget the standards they liveed by free to try anything and everything some see themselves as good servicemen out to do a job as best they can and get the most out of it and some guys well you can go in without having thought out the role you're going to play in service and afterward there'll be opportunities to cut loose and do things you've been brought up to believe or wrong it takes a lot of courage to stand up to what you believe in it's a lot easier just to go along WR you may not want to go but unless you've thought things out in advance you'll be an easy Mark now what's wrong with having a little fun the trouble is when you lack this clear picture of yourself and your character you have a hard time stopping something once you've started it that's what happened to Al the same sort of problem comes up in any branch of service but I happen to have been in the Navy and I know about Al the first night he had the it suddenly came over Al how alone he was for the first time in his life he was on his own with no one to turn to if something happened he could be in the mess hall with hundreds of other men but he was alone at home meal time was a time of of conversation relaxation planning but here he was with strangers he'd been pulled away from home school Community Church friends his private life had become public he was thrown in with a lot of men who had different sets of ideas and ideals back home there were things you did and things you didn't do and you knew pretty well where you stood but here he was alone and there was no one he could talk things over with he began to feel that he as a person didn't matter he was just a number a body in uniform nobody cared about him until he did something wrong even then it was the job nobody cared about him so why should he care why were worry about morals and spiritual values why not go with a couple of guys who claim to have the answer the first time didn't seem so bad but the second third fourth time he' started something he couldn't stop Al didn't feel right about doing some of the things they did it wasn't a matter of approving or disapproving their actions it was just that he didn't want to go along now there were times when Al wanted to be alone or to be back home where you knew who was who and what was what but he couldn't escape these were some of the guys he had to live with yet he found it harder and harder to live with himself when Al finally talked to me he'd reached the point where he felt he was no good to the Navy and no good to himself and well just about washed up now I don't want to scare you by suggesting that every guy in service cracks up of course they don't but when you enter service you face a change you'll have a lot of new moral decisions to make for yourself you'll be smart to get ready for it sooner or later you'll have to face up to being the kind of guy you want to be now's the time to decide what can you do to get ready well take our friend Carl remember he faced the same problem as Al but he met it on an even kill because he had a clear picture of the kind of person he wanted to be how had he formed that picture well let's look back into his life in school one of the things Carl wanted was a spot on the varsity baseball team but there were so many other things to do come on let's go swimming have some fun Carl had a decision to make going swimming now would take him away from practice skipping practice would hurt his chance of making the team and making the team was part of the picture Carl had of himself so he practiced Carl made his decision by applying what we call the test of common sense if you have ability to do something worthwhile isn't it common sense to live up to the best that's in you your own home is another place to practice living up to your picture of yourself midnight was when Carl agreed to be in he knew the folks were going out he could have stayed out later but there's another test the test of sportsmanship how would you like it if someone went back on his word to you we often call this the golden rule your community offers many opportunities for you to develop good moral habits or the other kind when you have decisions to make think about that person you want to be try the test of publicity if you went in would you want it known to your family and other people you really care about your church is there to show you the way to teach you the basic moral and spiritual values that men live by again the decision is up to you do you want to go the way the church teaches or some other way way apply the test of looking ahead look ahead because when you choose the start of a road you also choose the end with any moral decision you have to make finally there's you yourself whether your action is discovered or not one thing is sure you'll have to live with what you do to cheat or not to cheat apply the test of self-respect would you be able to face yourself would you have a guilty conscience would this action jive with that picture of the kind of person you want to be yes School home Community Church all offer opportunities for you to practice facing the moral decisions you'll have to meet in service and there are things you can do after you're in service as Al discovered first of all find other men who believe as you do there are plenty of them let them help you stay true to yourself of course you're going to have to live with all sorts of people and get along with them but you don't have to be like them you'll find other resources too men in the recreation office can help you find activities and companion of the sort you're looking for the librarian can guide you to books and magazines that may answer questions that are bothering you writing to your folks and Friends helps you feel that you're still with them and remember that you'll be going back to them the Red Cross is near at hand making a full-time business of helping with the problems that come up when a man's away from home some men may scoff at taking your troubles to the chaplain let them you go your way a way that's consistent with your own picture of yourself the picture of the guy you want to be in service and the guy you want to be when you come home from service think it over will you sooner or later you'll have to face up the deciding what kind of person you're going to be working at it now is a big part of your getting ready for [Music] service