Today I am just going to talk to you. I have been sharing military news, and now I am sharing with you directly.
What is happening in your life? Do you have times that you are depressed.? Are there times you wish you could just stay in bed all day? How about your daily routine? Do you avoid projects, because you fear failure?
There is much more of course, but I think you get the picture.
When we transcend from military life to civilian life, things can be very tough. People don’t understand you. They think you are still a soldier and some fear you. Finding work is a challenge. Your training does not fit most jobs.
If you are there I hear you.
When I first go out, I got a job as a grocery clerk. Not a job you really want to brag about, but my cousin got me the job and I was grateful. It was with Pigglly Wiggly, the grocery change with a funny name.
I decided I needed to get back to college, and get a degree. I had one term at George Fox College, and even played on the college football team. I was feeling good again.
The drive from Salem, Oregon to Newberg, Oregon was about a 40 mile drive each way.
One day early in the morning I was driving to school. It was cold and slippery and there was black ice. (Ice you can’t see.) I hit a patch of the ice and I was out of control. I hit a deep ditch that had water in it. I rolled several times. When the car stopped I was just above water. I was in pain, but I crawled out to safety.
My car was totaled and I had to quit college because I couldn’t afford getting a new car and paying for college at the same time.
I felt defeated, alone, and depressed.
I finally packed my family up and moved to California. I was told that Safeway, a huge grocery chain, was looking for new people. I got there and they put me through a training school and hired me.
Long story short….. I worked for them for eight years, and advanced quickly to being the “third,” man in one of the huge stores.
I still wasn’t happy!
We had added two more children, and I was working crazy hours. I never got to be with my family much. I decided to go back to college again in a Junior college. I did really well there. Had several terms of a 4.0 GPA.
I was feeling good again. However. Safeway asked me the important question: “Are you using your college training to advance with us or are you going elsewhere.”
Being honest I said I was planning to be a teacher. BOOM! They put me in the basement, and had me marking prices on cans. They didn’t want to have anything to do with me.
I transferred to Oregon State University, and got my degree in education. I had reached my dream, and the rest is history. I spent 22 years of joy working with children.
Finally, I made it to what I really wanted to do, but I hit a lot of walls, and disappointments to get there.
That may be how you will have to struggle once you get into civilian life. Many ups a downs, but a huge reward in the end. Let me share some suggestions to help you transcend into civilian life:
- There is always sunshine somewhere.
- The path may be rough but it leads to a smooth ending.
- Throw out the negative thoughts, and keep the positive ones.
- Perseverance should be your main word for life.
- Take one day at a time, and make them count.
- Above all…never, ever, give up!
Remember:
You are never alone.
You are never forsaken.
You are never unloved.
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