In the navy
Yes, you can sail the seven seas
In the navy
Yes, you can put your mind at ease
In the navy
Come on now, people, make a stand
In the navy, in the navy
Can’t you see we need a hand
In the navy
Come on, protect the motherland
In the navy
Come on and join your fellow man
In the navy
Come on people, and make a stand
In the navy, in the navy, in the navy (in the navy)
About a month ago my oldest son brought home a blue piece of paper. On it was an invitation to join the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. For the first time I can remember he was really excited.
I spent probably a week bringing up all the cons, so that he understand it was not a one day in one day out decision. Still he wanted to do it and I could not in good conscience say no. So off he went. Two weeks in and he seems to be enjoying himself and looks like he will commit to the year which he would stay in as his mother wanted him to promise.
So his decision brought back a flood of memories for me.
About 1981 a friend of mine convinced me that entering the Army Cadets would be a good idea. I at the time was hugely excited about all things military so I was interested. For about a year I stayed in until the friend and I did not stay solid friends.
However, when we moved to Toronto at sixteen I had decided I wanted to go into Sea Cadets, I was in love with ships at this point. As it turned out my Cadet branch was named after one of our ancient submarines. I liked Sea Cadets but getting motivated for making weekly meetings and other projects during the summer was just not something I really thought I could keep up with in my last years of school.
Along with that I found out you needed a bachelors degree or be qualified through my grades to go into the military as an officer or at least an officer candidate.
I could not at the time see the need for school and I felt that I was never going to get into the Armed Forces, so I gave up on the idea.
Yes when I was sixteen and seventeen I wanted to command a submarine crew.
Thanks to that background of love for the military I was introduced to history and fell deeply in love.
Now years later, many years later, I have a Bachelors. I am slightly old and out of shape but I was curious to see what I would need if I was to contemplate going into the military. I figured, laughing to myself, I would be punted rather quickly out the door of any recruiting office.
So with that in mind I contacted the Canadian Armed Forces filling out some paperwork for the Navy and marched down to the recruiting office to see what I would need and whether at 40 I was out of my midlife crisis gourd.
Well, they said to me they would take someone up to 55 years old. As well that I would be directly commissioned as a sub Lieutenant if I made it through the ten weeks of basic training.
Funnier still was my wife’s reaction, she said it was up to me and that she felt she could handle the difficult life due to speaking with other military wives.
So after a bit of a lark I am left with a fairly serious life changing decision. One that I would never remotely considered for the last 22 years. With no steady job the idea of having real work and a sense of earning something like a commission makes an intriguing idea. I am dubious I would survive basic as of this moment. In honest fact I think I would die trying to run a mile, let alone five.
Anyways, just figured I would blog about this because in a way it just seems like a way to gather some of my thoughts. Of course this may all change next week depending on what happens in another phase of my life. As I am slowly being sucked back into my old political life. If anything comes of that I will probably set this aside as a bit of midlife fun.
