"Lesson three." The other man's voice echoed suddenly from the
rear of the classroom, and many of the students started. The
class as one turned around to see the American leaning casually
against the doorjamb, dozens of wands in his fisted grip. Various
students looked down to discover that what they had thought were
their wands were in fact twigs, pencils, and in a few cases,
brightly-colored tubes of waxed paper labelled "Pixy Stix(R)".
"Situational awareness," he continued. "In a threat environment,
*never* focus on one thing to the exclusion of all others --
there *will* be other threats that *will* take advantage of your
inattention. Like me." He stood upright and began walking along
the tables, returning wands to their surprised owners just as the
students began realizing what he had done. "I am Colonel Douglas
Q. Sangnoir, also of the International Super Teams. And had this
been a true combat situation, most if not all of you would be
dead right now."
A redheaded boy with a broad grin elbowed his neighbor, a boy
with unruly black hair and glasses, and whispered, "Constant
vigilance!" The boy with the glasses chuckled softly.
The colonel apparently heard them, because he nodded as he
returned the last of the wands. "Exactly. Constant vigilance.
That doesn't mean paranoia, though, nor does it mean that you
have to give up everything else in order to put your entire
attention into scanning your surroundings at all times, but you
will need to learn how to *be aware*." With a hop he seated
himself on the instructor's desk at the front of the class. "Case
in point. Had you not been so intent on our little object
lesson, I would not have been able to take your wands from you."
-- Bob
---------
It's a "magical" land. I think "magical" is ancient Greek for "pain in the butt". -- Bun-Bun, Sluggy Freelance, 11/9/03
rear of the classroom, and many of the students started. The
class as one turned around to see the American leaning casually
against the doorjamb, dozens of wands in his fisted grip. Various
students looked down to discover that what they had thought were
their wands were in fact twigs, pencils, and in a few cases,
brightly-colored tubes of waxed paper labelled "Pixy Stix(R)".
"Situational awareness," he continued. "In a threat environment,
*never* focus on one thing to the exclusion of all others --
there *will* be other threats that *will* take advantage of your
inattention. Like me." He stood upright and began walking along
the tables, returning wands to their surprised owners just as the
students began realizing what he had done. "I am Colonel Douglas
Q. Sangnoir, also of the International Super Teams. And had this
been a true combat situation, most if not all of you would be
dead right now."
A redheaded boy with a broad grin elbowed his neighbor, a boy
with unruly black hair and glasses, and whispered, "Constant
vigilance!" The boy with the glasses chuckled softly.
The colonel apparently heard them, because he nodded as he
returned the last of the wands. "Exactly. Constant vigilance.
That doesn't mean paranoia, though, nor does it mean that you
have to give up everything else in order to put your entire
attention into scanning your surroundings at all times, but you
will need to learn how to *be aware*." With a hop he seated
himself on the instructor's desk at the front of the class. "Case
in point. Had you not been so intent on our little object
lesson, I would not have been able to take your wands from you."
-- Bob
---------
It's a "magical" land. I think "magical" is ancient Greek for "pain in the butt". -- Bun-Bun, Sluggy Freelance, 11/9/03