One Minuter Writer is a blog that puts up prompts daily for those of us that just can't figure out what to write about. The point is to write at least a minute a day, but there is no punishment for focusing on the topic for longer.
Today's prompt: How did you wind up in the career you currently have?
I joined the navy in March 2011. I didn't think about it for too long. I didn't plan high school or college around it. I spent most of my high school hanging out with friends and working at Harris Teeter. Being in the military NEVER crossed my mind. I would have laughed in your face if you told me, a high schooler, that the navy was most definitely in my future.
I spent my college days working a lot and attending sorority mixers, fund raisers and events. It was until the last semester of my senior year that I started thinking about it. And honestly I really didn't even give myself a chance to think about it. I literally just DID IT on a whim. I talked to the recruiter and two weeks later, there I was in bootcamp, thinking what the fuck did I get myself into?
Still to this day, I regret nothing.
Leaving the military is actually harder than it seems. The past couple months I have been going through a huge since of loss. I've been a sailor for the last five years of my life. If someone asked me what I'm doing, I would say, "I'm in the navy." That is no longer my answer.
I won't ever arrange my hair in a bun again. LIKE EVER.
I won't wash the grease and grim from under my nails. (unless I voluntarily do something messy)
I won't smell like guns going home.
I won't lace up those boots. Not one more time. (unless they are my new LL Bean rain boots!)
I don't even need to remember Navy acronyms anymore.
Obviously, I am marrying a career sailor (as of right now anyways, he could always change his mind) so I'll never escape it. I still wash and dry NWU's. I still hunt down ribbons for Zach. And when he hits sea duty again. I will feel the sense of loss as he goes on deployment.
And these are all wonderful things (aside from the last one). I am beyond excited but I am also going through a huge, "who am I phase?" In high school I was a bookish girl who loved to read, soul searching on what college to attend. In college, I was studying nutrition to become a dietitian. After college I joined the navy on a whim, wanting to travel and explore. Now here I am choosing what to major in again. Except the navy is going to pay for it this time, thankfully!
I never even imagined that five years would have flown by so fast.
If the navy has taught me anything about career goals, it has taught me what I don't want to do....and what I do want to do. It has taught me everything. Shit.
1.) I don't want to clean guns. I don't even like guns. I really don't even like conflict. I shy away from it. I just want everyone to be happy. And I want everyone to succeed. How I did five years focused on ammunition, bombs and missiles is beyond me. But I wasn't. It was never the weapons. It was always the people. I worked with amazing individuals. Some I mentored and coached. And others taught me. Some brought joy and many brought out my assertive side. My favorite part of the job was always the people. I don't want to clean guns but I DO want to impact peoples lives. I want to give individuals confidence in themselves. I want to see success. Now I don't entirely know what job that is but I know if I don't work with people on a daily basis I will lose my mind.
2.) I don't want to turn tools anymore. I learned so much while serving but I don't want to have to think about "righty tight, lefty loosey" anymore. I don't want to come home smelling like gun powder. I don't want to be covered in grease. On the flip side of that, I lifted heavy things everyday. I always moved around. I burned calories going up all the ladder wells on the ship. I must continue to move. It was nice being able to be so active in a job.
3.) I don't want to work long hours. A 14 hour shift is far too long for my dogs to hold their pee in. If you work more than half your life, work is more than half your life. I want to work to live not live to work. You get me? The navy just does't. I saw far too many mothers and fathers who arrived home 30 minutes before their kids went to sleep and left before they awoke.
4.) I have a strong sense of who I am... I might not be living it out yet. But I know who I am and I know I want to be a career woman. The key to success isn't necessarily knowing what you want, more of knowing who you are and what you can accomplish.
So I chose a double masters in human resource development and leadership and management because I believe that it will be able to open the door to wherever I choose. I believe that the choices you make throughout your career world will eventually add up and make sense even if they don't right now. I believe its going to be like a lightbulb turning on, and all of a sudden you are in so deep over your head but you don't realize it because you just keep swimming. You don't even have to worry about your feet not touching the bottom because you love the swim so much.
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