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Commander’s Commentary—April 2005

Col Kay Joslin Walling

Dear Maryland Wing Members,

As a child I never heard the phrase “you can’t “- fill in whatever words you want. I was much more likely to hear the phrase, “Can’t never could.” For me, it’s all about attitude, specifically a positive attitude.

There are many things that have been accomplished when a majority of people said it couldn’t be done. Where would any of us be today if Columbus had listened to those who insisted the world was flat, if Orville and Wilbur Wright had listened to those who said man couldn’t fly, if Amelia Earhart had listened to those that said women shouldn’t fly, or if Gill Robb Wilson had listened to those who said country club pilots in little toy planes couldn’t make a contribution to the war effort? History is filled with those who believed they could.

As I grew older there were things that I began to feel I would not be able to do because of physical limitations. I thought I would never be able to see clearly without glasses. Now we have corrective surgery that might make it possible for me to have 20/20 vision without corrective lenses. Where would all the people whose lives have been changed by corrective eye surgery be if everyone had believed it couldn’t be done?

I thought I would never be able to fly for the Air Force because I was told a woman had to be at least 64 inches tall and have 20/20 uncorrected vision to be a pilot. Yet here I am flying Air Force missions for the Auxiliary. Life is filled with examples of success when others predicted failure. We must believe we can. We must adopt a positive attitude. All the aptitude in the world will not help us succeed if we believe we cannot accomplish our goals. We may have mountains before us, but if we believe then we will find a way over them, through them, around them, under them.

Together our aptitude combined with a positive attitude is unbeatable.

Sincerely,

Colonel Walling's signature

KAY JOSLIN WALLING, Colonel, CAP
MDWG/CC