Not Backing Down
My dad used to be in the Army. He has always struck me as a gentle, kind man who never gets upset. The US has a law that protects servicemembers reaching their 20th year from being compelled to retire for full benefits. One morning, his boss called him, notifying him that he would be forced to leave owing to army-wide budget cuts.
He sprang out of his seat and began yelling at the general over the phone that it was unacceptable because he was in the “safe zone,” according to the legislation. He began repeating sections after sections, raging at the commander and telling him he had screwed up and that it needed to be addressed right then. My father received another call from the commander a couple of days later. According to the general, “Let me apologize for the other day before you say anything. You were right.”