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EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK:
Bat Ears, Bat Eyes
The big day had
come, and I took the trolley from King Manor to downtown
Philadelphia for the battery of tests I had to take at the Armed
Forces Induction and Testing Center. Making the trip all the way
to the big bad city of Philadelphia alone made feel like a man…
well-seasoned and traveled.
The battery of
tests lasted all day and included the Minnesota MultiPhasic
Personality test.
This test was
designed to evaluate if I was emotionally functional enough to
hack boot camp.
I was intensely
stressed as I was administered the aptitude and intelligence
tests. I just knew that I was not performing very well. I tried
to bury the fear that I would be found unworthy to join this
exclusive club as I was so heavily invested up to this point.
The physical
exam was a breeze, at least until my hearing and eye exam. I was
put in the booth to see how well I could hear the low and high
decibel levels that they piped into the booth.
The examiner
was confused by the results. He felt that I had scored
impossibly high on the tests. He demanded that I repeat the
test, and once again he thought that my scores were impossible.
After several
more sessions, the examiner expressed concern that the equipment
just had to be broken or perhaps that I didn't understand his
instructions on how to properly operate the button.
Once again I
was instructed to push the hand held button whenever I heard a
noise. The readings from this exam seemed to indicate that I
possessed an incredible range of hearing.
Perplexed and
astounded, he called in another examiner to help him to verify
the soundness of the equipment and to witness my freakish
ability.
According to
each test, I was able to hear in ranges far above and below what
they had ever encountered at the Philadelphia Armed Forces
medical facilities.
Once again, the
two examiners showed me the results on a printout and said,
"Holy shit, you have ears like a bat." I was pleased, but I knew
what was coming next. I was not looking forward to the eye
examine since I knew that I was as blind as a rodent crawling up
a pervert’s ass.
They started me
on the basic test without my glasses and within the first few
seconds I was instructed to put my glasses back on.
After a few
minutes, they both threw their hands up in both disgust and
understanding. “Wow! No wonder you have ears like a bat, you're
as blind as a fucking bat. We're sorry Mr. Chimera, but you're
too blind to be allowed into the Marines or any branch of the
service, for that matter."
Feeling pangs
of inadequacy and disappointment, I begged, "Please, please, it
means everything for me to go into the Marines. Look, if I
can't get through boot camp, then that's the way it goes. It
doesn't have anything to do with you."
"We really can't do
that," they said.
With as much
persuasiveness as possible, I said, “Come on, mistakes are made.
You won't get into trouble. Please pass me."
After ten more
minutes of practically begging on my knees, they capitulated.
Barely.
I was stoked!
I was going to enter
the world of men!
MOST PEOPLE TALK BULLSHIT:
One Primate's Search For Intelligent Life
(GENESIS)
MOST PEOPLE TALK BULLSHIT:
One Primate's Search For Intelligent Life
(EXODUS)
MOST PEOPLE TALK BULLSHIT:
One Primate's Search For Intelligent Life
(REVELATIONS)
MOST PEOPLE TALK BULLSHIT:
One Primate's Search For Intelligent Life
(JUDGMENT DAY)
THE MARINES: GOD'S CHOSEN
WARRIORS
VINCE'S GYM
CONVERSATIONS WITH NEO
NEO TEACHES ME THE ART OF WAR
& PEACE;
His Version of The Matrix
MEMORIES OF MY FATHERS
ZEN & THE ART OF RESISTANCE
TRAINING:
A Yogic & Scientific Approach To Weight
Lifting
ZEN & THE BIOLOGY OF
TRANSCENDENCE:
The First Matrix of Psychic
Phenomena
ZEN & THE ART OF KINESIOLOGY:
The Yogic & Scientific
Approach To Movement
ZEN & YOUR ENERGY SYSTEMS
ZEN & VARIOUS ASPECTS OF
TRAINING
HOMEPAGE TO ADVENTURES IN MARINE BIOLOGY
HOMEPAGE |
