colourmetwice73310
New Member
So, my uncle was in the Navy, but he died when I was really little so I barely remember him. However, he's really the only military influence in my life so my joining the Navy all of the sudden came as a huge shock to, well, everyone. Everyone but me that is (which is probably a good thing).
At twenty years old I'm seriously wondering why I didn't do this sooner. After giving it some thought i can tell you one good reason why. I got mainstreamed. Mainstreamed straight into the whole graduate high school, go to college, go to grad school, get a job, get a family thing. I knew there were other options out there, but no one ever really helped me explore them. Sure, I could've done more research on my own, but its hard to look for something when you're not exactly sure what it is or even if its definitely there.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but as a female, it seems to be even a little more difficult. Recruit officers weren't calling my house or sending me anything in the mail. Sure, they were in my school, but they sure never gave me a second look. I didn't fix cars with my friends, play in a band (outside of marching band), do cool tricks on my skateboard, or fix things around the house with my grandfather. All of the above seemed reserved for my younger brother.
I was left feeling trapped into going to college. I mean, sure I wanted to go, but only to get away from home and because I didn't know what else I was supposed to do. So at the end of this past school year, there I was: a straight A report card in hand feeling more confused and stressed then ever.
And then I met up with my old friend Michelle who seemed to be fumbling around just as much as a I was but in a different way. Out of nowhere she tells me she joined the Navy. Four years doing nothing but pushing papers and she's ecstatic. And it hits me. I want to join. Not to do what she's doing (that's what I'm trying to escape in civilian life) but to do everything I've wanted to do for the past 15 years of my life. Now, I don't deny that I enjoy baking cookies, but I'm sick of watching my brother and my uncle fix the oven when it doesn't work. Do ya get what I'm saying? (Which, by the way, I find very amusing. I join the sexist military to have the opportunity to do a man's work that the civilian world denied me. Go on, chuckle.).
Well anyways, I'm here now.
I have lots more to share but that's for another time.
Hope I didn't scare you all away with such a long post, but hey, by now you *hopefully* have a lot of questions to ask me.
Goodnight for now (at least all in this 1/2 of the world)
-Taryn
At twenty years old I'm seriously wondering why I didn't do this sooner. After giving it some thought i can tell you one good reason why. I got mainstreamed. Mainstreamed straight into the whole graduate high school, go to college, go to grad school, get a job, get a family thing. I knew there were other options out there, but no one ever really helped me explore them. Sure, I could've done more research on my own, but its hard to look for something when you're not exactly sure what it is or even if its definitely there.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but as a female, it seems to be even a little more difficult. Recruit officers weren't calling my house or sending me anything in the mail. Sure, they were in my school, but they sure never gave me a second look. I didn't fix cars with my friends, play in a band (outside of marching band), do cool tricks on my skateboard, or fix things around the house with my grandfather. All of the above seemed reserved for my younger brother.
I was left feeling trapped into going to college. I mean, sure I wanted to go, but only to get away from home and because I didn't know what else I was supposed to do. So at the end of this past school year, there I was: a straight A report card in hand feeling more confused and stressed then ever.
And then I met up with my old friend Michelle who seemed to be fumbling around just as much as a I was but in a different way. Out of nowhere she tells me she joined the Navy. Four years doing nothing but pushing papers and she's ecstatic. And it hits me. I want to join. Not to do what she's doing (that's what I'm trying to escape in civilian life) but to do everything I've wanted to do for the past 15 years of my life. Now, I don't deny that I enjoy baking cookies, but I'm sick of watching my brother and my uncle fix the oven when it doesn't work. Do ya get what I'm saying? (Which, by the way, I find very amusing. I join the sexist military to have the opportunity to do a man's work that the civilian world denied me. Go on, chuckle.).
Well anyways, I'm here now.
I have lots more to share but that's for another time.
Hope I didn't scare you all away with such a long post, but hey, by now you *hopefully* have a lot of questions to ask me.
Goodnight for now (at least all in this 1/2 of the world)
-Taryn
