Are we already at part 5! This is crazy because if you had told me that someday I would be bold enough to put these thoughts to paper and make them available to complete strangers, my anxiety alone would have shut down the idea and kept it as a thought with no action behind it; but here we are. I've enjoyed doing this, and for the folks keeping up with the series, I hope you'll continue to dig it.
The last entry was pretty heavy, so I wanted to level things out a bit and highlight some rad folks that helped me during this time while making sure we're staying true to experiences. The military isn't for everyone; it was barely for me. But it wasn't 20 years of doom and stormy weather. For most of my career, I tried to stay as positive as possible. Some days were easier than others. One of my favorite aspects of my career in the Navy was the number of teachable lessons that were waiting to be experienced. These range from: should racial slurs be celebrated freely to life lessons that can be applied when you get out of the military and back into the real world.
Getting sober was huge for my family and me, as it should be for anyone battling that demon. Now that my drinking was under control, I had to lose all the extra weight I had put on to pass the semi-annual physical fitness assessment. I was on the ever-so-thin line of being discharged due to my weight. Now, it was around this time that I was contemplating getting out of the Navy, but I didn't want my time to end like this. Not knowing where to turn or where to begin with this journey of saving my job, my supervisor simply said: "just start." At this time, I was on the USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (an aircraft carrier), which is a floating city of sorts. Food is served pretty much 24 hours (in some fashion), gyms, a library, and about 5,000 of your closet and, at times, stinkiest friends. So I got familiar with a treadmill, which unlocked my minor joy of running. Since that day, I have run a few half-marathons and numerous 5 and 10Ks. I don't do it too much nowadays because of my knees, but such is life, I suppose.
That battle to lose weight was tough, but so was my supervisor. Her words were stern, but her soul and intentions were honest. Even when I didn't work for her and switched to a different department on the ship, she always managed to stop by and say a few words. To this day, I still think about her leadership and how she carried herself. She was the first person I had come in contact with who wanted to impart wisdom for the job and life. Until then, I wasn't too sure that was a thing. Is it possible to set aside the fact that the military isn't the be-all, end-all, and it's ok to teach authentic life lessons without worrying about how you can pad your evaluation with in-authentic mentoring bullets? YES! Is it popular? NO!
I remember getting my advancement eligibility reinstated after I had dropped the weight and passed my physical examination. She was the first in line to congratulate me. I'm not sure if I'm writing this today without her. She significantly shaped my outlook on the Navy and how people are treated. Now, I could sit here and give shitty example after shitty example, but I want this to be about her. I want this to be a reminder that the soul needs to eat and the importance of filling it with the right stuff. There are two kinds of people in the Navy. Those that share their knowledgeable souls and those that don't.
Thanks for reading.
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