Know their names

“I was just keeping up their morale,” Ahsoka said. “They need to know we take the same risks that they do. That we’ll sit down and talk to them, and know their names, instead of just snapping our fingers and calling them clone. Nobody likes being treated as if they don’t matter.”

For all her bluster, she had her very adult, perceptive moments. Anakin knew how it felt not to matter. “Well… they seem to like you. That’s good.”

“They’ve lost so many of their friends. Can’t you feel their pain?”

“They’re soldiers,” Anakin said. “It’s the job.”

“It’s yours, too, but you hurt all the time.”

Anakin didn’t look at Rex, and Rex didn’t look at him, but the captain took a few slow paces and put a little more distance between them, appearing engrossed in something via his helmet comlink. He was obviously anxious to avoid hanging around for what threatened to be a very personal exchange.

“You’re right, Padawan,” Anakin said. She was, and he didn’t want to discuss it; agreeing with her served both purposes. “We all handle our loss in our own way. Thank you for thinking of the men’s welfare.”

~

Respect and care are paramount in any relationship.

Mentors and pupils, managers and employees, generals and soldiers.

We can maintain the rigor of our decisions and firm evaluations without forgetting that personal and professional levels are different.

It is not just about being empathetic but also considering human complexity.

Others, like us, are not just one thing.

Not just clones, or students, or employees.

And it would be a crucial mistake to judge one aspect of a person's life as the totality of who the person is.

Some of my students are terrible at my subject.

Some because they actively prefer to enjoy their afternoons chatting with friends instead of unveiling the secrets of a gas turbine.

[How can I blame them?]

Some because they are absolutely the negation of what I teach.

Either way, I love them.

They are many many other things besides being a D- student in my class.

They are witty and hilarious, sweet and kind, generous and caring.

They will still receive a D-.

But, ultimately, it is not what matters.

[Photo: rocking my finals week with Her Universe]