Today I attended the first day of a 3 day course called Compass. Basically it is an in doc class for new Navy wives. Married for over 13 years to a sailor, I am not a new Navy wife. However, this class was NOT offered when I first got married. They just started Compass a few years ago I believe. I was inspired to take the class for two reasons. The first being that there is probably something or something(s) I can take away from the class. The second is that I am interested in becoming a mentor and would like to help teach the class. So far, my interest is peaked. The first thing they stress when the class starts is that there is no rank among us Navy wives. I think that is awesome because Lord knows as a new Navy wife many years back i was quite intimidated by the officer's and upper enlisted's wives. Not that there was anyone that treated me poorly- but still...
All this knowledge and experience I have must be put to use! Haha, I sound quite full of myself. Honestly, if I can help at least one new wife, it will be worth it. The lady in charge of the program is actually husband's boss's wife. She is a very very sweet lady who sent me many emails before I arrived- emails packed with loads of useful information and advice about moving here. She also wants me to be a mentor- how could I refuse her?
Today we learned some Naval history, about our benefits as Navy wives, etiquette, and resources that are available. Much of this would have been very useful to me when I was a new wife. Lucky for me I was resourceful and was brave enough to venture out and meet other wives. Some are not so brave. Some are scared away by rumors they hear. Believe it or not- there are some Navy wives that don't like Navy wives! They refuse to socialize with their own kind. Granted- the military brings on a mix of people from all walks of life, and many corners of the world. This can be a wonderful thing in that you get to meet some very interesting people. You can also meet some very strange people who think so differently from you that they might as well be from another planet. Well, maybe not that bad- but still... Some new wives are very young- I mean they just left their parents home for the first time and have never been on their own. They have an especially hard time. Many of them cannot make it without some sort of support system. It is awesome that the Navy has started to make an effort in the past few years to try offer new and better resources.
So what I am getting at is that I have a great opportunity here. The ladies that are presenting the class actually are coming from a different base. They want to start a program at the base at which I live at now. So here is my chance to really make a difference in the quality of life for the spouses here. And of course I will benefit from more than just the warm fuzzy feelings o having down something good- I will also have something to write down on my resume. So when I am asked- "what did you do while in Japan?"- I can say I did more than sight see and eats lots of delicious food.
It feels good to have a purpose here now. Hopefully this turns out to be a good thing!
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