I've never really been considered a "big deal" in my family. I took auto tech to try to do something different from everyone else, and I ended up falling in love with it. I took it for 3 years and ended up graduating at the top of my class. My mothers little China doll (as she calls me b/c I'm "small, fragile, and beautiful") graduated and did better than all the boys! Haha. I was even the only one in my class to have the opertunity to go to the Ford AAA contest. I was the VP for SkillsUSA. Let's just say, my family would have never expected me to be the person I am today. Haha!
Before I considered joining the Navy, I knew I wanted to be a turbine mechanic for jets. As I started doing personal research on this, I started discovering how perfect the Navy would be for me. So, I talked to a recruiter, went to MEPS, and ended up getting the rate GSM. Even though I won't be working on turbines for aircraft, I'll be doing it for ships, which is just as cool to me and I absolutely cannot wait!
I guess the point of this blog is to admit to somebody that I am also very scared. I know it's taking a toll on my mom and dad especially. Neither one of them want to let go of their baby. All of my siblings still live in Ohio around the same small town we all grew up in. I am determined to make a difference. I am determined to make my family proud. To put my family name out there. To give my family something to brag about. But I am also doing it for myself. I feel like this is my destiny. I need to live a life of adventure before I become old. When people ask me why I decided to join the Navy, I always tell them "I don't really want to just exist in life".
At first it started out to be about the money and the college oppertunity. But the more I look into it, the more and more I become patriotic about it. I'm hoping that my family is just as excited as I am. Please, look out for my parents while I cannot. I believe my dad is going to make an account because I was highly reccommending it to him. haha!
Good luck to you and all of your family's and God Bless! :]]
Comments
I agree with Jim let's get you through boot camp first then we can start calling you Sailor. Jim is also correct to the fact that the longer you are in the service the more leave time you accumulate, as with any job. Yoou've started yourself in probably one of the biggest journies that you will encounter in your lifetime. Enjoy the ride and take in all that you can along the way. Like you said about your parents not everyone will have the ability to go and see things that they only dream of. You have the chance to spread your wings across this world and bring things to your parents that they haven't or won't ever get to see. Show them the world and enjoy it while you are there.
Thank you for the compliment Jim it means alot coming from you two.
One thing that you might think of when you get out of basic and get into ATT or A school is that you will be able to go to the NEX and be able to buy things pretty cheap. You could at that time or when you are on liberty after graduation take your parents to the NEX and pick them up a webcam and Micand tell them to hook it up to the computer when they get back home and you will be able to talk with the famly members that don't have webcams and possibly get them to go out and purchase webcams so that they can talk. You could install Skype and set up an account for your parents before you leave for basic that way all they have to do is plug in webcam and mic. Just a thought.
Jim, I'll be sure to write a blog once I get to A school. That's going to be at Great Lakes as well so I'm gonna be stuck there for at least 18 weeks. haha. Do either of you guys happen to know if like, say I'm in A school for Thanksgiving and Christmas b/c that's going to be a possibility, do I get to go home or do I have to stay there?
I live in Shawnee, 30 minutes east of Oklahoma City. I can tell you that what you ae experiencing right now is the hardest part. the uneasyness of leaving your family and friends behind and going away to start your own future is a big step in anyones life.
I can assure you that your mom is not mad at you she just doesn't know how to handle the feelings that she is going through. My wife and I were the same way when Trevor signed up for the dep program. one of the biggest points of advice that I can give you about keeping in touch with your family is to load Skype onto a computer at your parents house and any of your siblings that have a computer with a webcam in it or with it. you won't be able to have any contact with your parents while it basic other than letters written back and forth but when you get out of Basic and get into ATT you will be able to get internet service and you can stay up to date with your parents and siblings. Trevor, Sage (daughter-in-law) and I all have it on our laptops. while he was on deployment when he got into port and was able to get an internet connection he made video calls to sage and us. We kept in touch with sage while he was gone and with our Grand daughter.
You are going to be a bigger role model for your siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews than what you can imagine. Follow your dreams and don't hang your head as your family is going to be watching you now more than they ever have before. You will still get the ribbing because you are the baby but you will also gain a new respect from your siblings for your decision. Hang in there and enjoy the ride, it will have its ups and downs but that is all just a part of life.
Tim, I really enjoyed reading what you had to say! Where in Oklahoma are you from? All of us from Ohio are from your neck of the woods, besides one of my brothers and myself. My other 2 siblings were born there. I have family in Enid and Tulsa. I'm sure you and my dad will get along! Haha. I think my parents knew that I was going to be the one to step out of the norm and put my wings to their full potential. Sometimes when I talk to my mom I almost feel like she's mad at me for making this decision. Neither of my parents really got to do much throughout their lives because they had me and my siblings at young ages, so my first plan is to give each of them a vacation and fly them to where ever I'm stationed. I'd love to go sky diving with my dad in Hawaii or take my mom shopping in California. I'm also really close to my neice and nephew. I'm a little scared that over the years they won't know me much anymore and when I come home they won't run and hug me anymore. My dad has met my recruiter and talked to him maybe twice. My mom has never even spoke to the man. I think it would be good for at least my mom to meet him. I'm excited about my younger cousin for deciding to possibly join the Air Force. I don't know if it's because of my decision with the Navy, but it feels good to be looked at like a roll model. My nephew is excited (he's only 5) because he thinks I'm going to go kill a bunch of pirates. haha! he's so cute. Man...is it going to get easier? I mean, is this the hardest part? Leaving? The weirdest feeling is knowing that after Wednesday, I won't really be comming "home" to Ohio anymore. I've only traveled a few times and most of it was to states to visit family. But I'm ready. I'm more than ready. I'm the most excited I've ever been. Thank you guys. Thank you so much :D
let me be the first to give you a big BRAVO ZULU, and congratulate you on making an informed decision on what you want to do with at least the next 4 years of your life. As I was reading your blog i could relate to the feelings that your parents have for you as my wife and I felt the same way about our son when he told us that he wanted to join the U.S. Navy. We raised our boys to not settle for what life here in Oklahoma had to offer them. There is a great big world out there and your destiny is there for you to take as you will. We always knew that Trevor would not stick around here. He always wanted to go here and go there. We just never knew that the Navy was going to be the vehicle that was going to take him where he wanted to go and places that he had never heard or dreamed of.
Trevor has been in the U.S. Navy now for 2 years and has been through all of his phases of schooling (ATT, A-school, C-school) and is now out into the fleet. He left for his first deployment the week before Thanksgiving and in a 4 month deployment he circled the the Northern Hemisphere of the globe.
I do understand the feelings that your parents are having right now but if you can get them onto this site and let them do some reasearch into what you are getting yourself into I promise it will be alot easier for them and help them understand your decision. I know when trevor told us he wanted us to talk with his recruiter it took us almost 2 months to go talk with her.
After Trevor P.I.R.'d I found this site and I must admit iI have learned a whole lot since coming here and joining groups that Trevor has had something to do with has made it alot easier and has helped me gather more information about the stages that he was in at the time. My wife and I were still up in the ir about Trevors decision until we went to P.I.R. with his wife, daughter and our other son. All I can say is that I only thought that I was proud of my son up to that point but I had not experienced the greatest day of my life.
Now here I am 2 yrs down the road and Ethan my other son has joined the Navy DEP and has gotten a ship date for basic for next summer after he graduates high school. I do know what to expect at P.I.R. this time around and I have already joined a group that will heklp me understand what Ethan is going to be getting into.
So to say that I am one proud father is an understatement. I would like to, if you get your parents to join NavyDads.com, chat with them and tell them what I have learned and share with them the experiences that I have had so far in my sons Naval career. You have chosen to take a big step that no one in your family has taken and I applaud you for that and would gladly stand behind you in your endeavours. I would also like to thank you in advance for making this decision to serve your country and stand up for my rights, privilages and freedoms that I and all the rest of the Americans have. Congratulations, good luck and god bless you and your family.