As I approached my EOS [End of Service] date during my time in the Navy, the anticipation of getting out grew within me with each passing day! My experience and time in the Navy had been an experienced filled time and as I approached my EOS, the need for a decision to 'stay or go' was paramount and grew with each day as well. While the prospect of getting out and returning to civilian life was exciting and inviting, it was at the same time scary in many regards. 'Navy life' has been good to me and the possibilities were endless, or so it seemed. At the same time to continue to live and succumb to the regiment of military life was daunting and in some ways unappealing!
As I counted the days and approached my 'double digits' to the end of the 'tour' the decision of what to do, reenlist or become a civilian 'tore' at me. The decision was not made any easier with the prospect of what awaited me at home. Even with all that, the prospects of leaving the Navy, returning to the civilian world and all the questions it presented loomed heavy on my mind. The decision was not made any easier by the fact that my 'seniors' wished for me to stay and offered many reasons and incentives why I should reenlist.
While my mind was filled with all the prospects, made perhaps even more difficult by the fact it was 'down time' and the ship was between cruises in the shipyard. At the time, a number of my friends, peers, shipmates had been shipped off for class on a 'new' system - a Wordstar word processing system. While they were attending school for the new system, I was left behind to 'tend to the ship,' all the thoughts and decisions playing in my mind, and a new Wordstar system!
It was no secret, I have the propensity and desire to learn all I can, though I am much more astute at learning 'hands on.' Give me a manual and the 'object' and I can soak it up and most likely learn it 'inside out.' The new Wordstar system was no different and I became intimate in my knowledge and operation of it! Actually, when the others returned from class, my knowledge and abilities of the system surpassed their own in many ways.
This did not go unnoticed by my seniors and soon I was putting together and holding 'advanced' training classes for those 'educated' in the operation of the system. At the same time, there were discussions about me extending on board the ship for a year. The purpose of my extension would be to administer the new system, which was to be networked to allow communications between all offices having the system installed. Along with the extension, should I decide to do so, came numerous perks to entice me in reaching the decision to extend on board and administer the new systems.
As enticing as it all was, the decision was not any easier and especially from because of the 'pressures' from those at home to 'get back' and return to the mix! As the day loomed closer for me to make a decision, I decided to abstain and not extend on board to assure the position of system administrator. Of course my decision was 'applauded' by many of those back home, many of those on board the ship were in disagreement with my decision to 'leave' the Navy and the 'sweet' deal that had been presented to me!
My days were not over yet, and the 'pressure' to change my mind, both about extending on board, or at least 're-upping' in the Navy continued... With my decision made, or so I thought, I 'eased' into life as a 'short timer' counting my days to depart!
But then came the wager....
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