I've faced a lot of obstacles in my life, life's not been easy and it's made me who I am. Out of them all, I would have to say the greatest obstacle that I've ever overcome would be stigma of being the eldest son of a Fleet Commander.

When you're the eldest son of a Fleet Commander, people expect a certain something from you. Something that reaches and perhaps surpasses your father's level of quality. They look at you with expectant eyes and you can't just be yourself, it isn't acceptable. You have to be what they want and expect you to be and you just know if you fail, you'll disappoint not only yourself, your family but you'll upset countless others.

Pressure is something I've grown accustomed to and perhaps been bred for, it seems to roll effortless off my back and I seem to be more alive than ever when I'm rushing against deadlines. Something I've grown up to accept and something I've been familiar with for as long as I can remember. Pressure is the one constant in my life, a sad admission but a very true one.

The worst thing about it all? I've had people questioning my abilities and I've had people talking about me and about my father. When you're the eldest son of a Fleet Commander, most people tend to think that your father's reputation, your father's rank, has gotten you as far as you've managed to get. They don't stop to think that perhaps it's through hard work, dedication and drive. No, it's simple to them. My father is a Commander and so he's pulled strings and I've done nothing to earn my rank or my position for that matter.

It's disappointing that no-one believes that I've actually worked for everything that I have; my father has never once pulled strings for me. It's been me all the way and I am a Captain because I worked damn hard for this rank. I slaved through the classes, I put in my time on the flight deck, I followed others, I did what I had to and was ordered to do, and I earned this rank.

I pushed past all the ignorance, I shoved my way through the stupidity and I took the bullshit and threw it right back in all their faces.

Muse : Capt. Lee 'Apollo' Adama
Fandom : Battlestar Galactica (New TV Series)
Word Count : 400