Chapter 21
The Pirates Strike Back
The Attack As soon as Silver disappeared, the captain, who had been closely watching him, turned towards the interior of the house and found not a man of us at his post but Gray. It was the first time we had ever seen him angry. “Quarters!” he roared. And then, as we all slunk back to our places, “Gray,” he said, “I’ll put your name in the log; you’ve stood by your duty like a seaman. Mr. Trelawney, I’m surprised at you, sir. Doctor, I thought you had worn the king’s coat! If that was how you served at Fontenoy,…
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Critical Thinking Exercise
Plan Your Pivot Points
Think of a current situation where you have a plan - maybe at work, with your kids, or a personal goal. Write down your plan, then identify three specific signs that would tell you it's time to change course. For each warning sign, brainstorm one alternative approach you could try instead.
Consider:
- •Focus on what you can control, not what you can't
- •Consider what success actually looks like vs. just following your original plan
- •Think about who else is affected by your decisions and what they need from you
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you held onto a plan too long because changing course felt like admitting failure. What would you do differently now, and how would you recognize the signs earlier?
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