Dr. David Marshall's Blog Member of the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors

Blind to the World!!

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Luka’s disgust in people had reached the ultimate peak. Anytime someone would even come close to his presence, Luka would run to a dark corner and spend the next five to ten minutes vomiting. He was so sick of what society had become. “What can I do?” “My trust in the human race has reached an all-time low.” “The only thing that I want to do is to banish all mankind or banish myself.” Luka knew it was impossible to comply with both ideas. “What else is there?”

Looking at his left hand, he saw a half-chewed red toothpick. “Well, I can’t get rid of idiots with this stick; however, I can hit the pocketbook where it hurts.” “I will create an amazing product that will not only help me financially but also prevent me from looking at these individuals.” “I know others like me hate humanity as much as I do.”

Luka ran home as fast as he could, avoiding eye contact with anyone who dared to look his way. As he entered his laboratory, Luka threw the red half-chewed toothpick on the bench and glued a piece of black construction paper on top of the toothpick. Afterward, he wrote in big white letters, “I am blind to the world.” So excited, he created a website and a GoFundMe page called “Blind to all of mankind,” where he hoped to rid society of their most precious possession, money.

Underway! Shift Colors!!

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Underway! Shift Colors!!

Oh wow! You are going on a cruise! That is so exciting. You will visit many foreign lands and meet exciting people from all over the world. What an extraordinary time you are going to have. Take pictures and buy souvenirs. If you visit these countries, here is a list of items I want. I am sure many people said all of this or something that closely resembles those who are going on a cruise with those fancy ship that has over ten floors where everyone can enjoy themselves doing things such as laying around on the lounge chairs, drinking mojitos, eating the best food and drinking the best drinks money can buy or playing shuffleboard next to the swimming pool that the incredible waterslide empties to or any other array of activity that is offered.

No, this adventure is far from that. You can say this is the complete opposite. The one that is going to sail around the ocean blue and travel around the seven seas is not a Carnival or Princess Cruise Ship; it is a United States Navy ship.

Those lucky ones in the United States Navy who have gone to sea on those big gray ships with white hull numbers will tell you that life is very different. No lounging around on the promenade deck or shuffleboard court next to the swimming pool. The five-story waterslide does not exist. Nope, there is work that needs to be done, watches that need to be stood, decks that need to be scrubbed, heads that need to be cleaned, and berthing that needs to be swept and organized. On top of that, qualifications must be met, training needs to be mastered, and, of course, drills must be run. All these events take place around the clock. The only time there is a rest or relaxation moment is on the occasional Sunday when the crew will go topside and have a cookout in the afternoon.

So here it is, after receiving all the accolades; good luck and have fun, and don’t forget to write, email, and message us through social media, our sailor who, for the first time in his life, heads to Norfolk piers, goes onboard the ship and heads out to sea.

The first day of any long cruise or deployment onboard a United States Navy ship feels like the longest day ever, and for our sailors, this is nothing different. Waking up at 4:00 in the morning, he starts to get ready. Is the seabag packed with enough clothes for six months? Underwear, socks, T-shirts, uniforms? Also, it would be best if you remembered to bring a couple of pairs of jeans and some nice shirts at a foreign port in case of liberty. I should place my shower shoes and the steel top boots. I need to think about safety. Please verify that all the bills will be handled when I am gone. Who will care for the car in the parking lot for about half the year? Is my apartment going to be safe? Who is going to water the plants? Thank God all these arrangements were made before today, but it is good to make sure.

Around 5:00 am, the white navy van picks up our sailor and heads to the ship. You would think that driving this early in the morning, there would be very little traffic. However, this is Norfolk. The heavy traffic starts very early and lasts until 9:00 am. After weaving in and out of rush hour traffic, the van arrives at Pier 5 just in time for reveille, which is at 6:00 am for most ships. Our sailor drags his seabag through the gate, down the pier, and up the brow to the quarterdeck. Before stepping on the boat, he turns to the direction where the flag is, salutes, then turns to the Officer of the Deck, the person in charge of the quarterdeck, and then asks, “Request permission to come aboard.” The Officer of the Deck salutes back and says, “Permission granted.” Our sailor picks up his seabag, shows his identification, and lets the Officer of the Deck know that this is his first day, and he is checking in. The officer of the deck calls the Master at Arms to let them know that there is a new check-in. After five minutes, the Master at Arms, who is not too thrilled to be called this early in the morning, arrives. He shakes our sailor’s hand and says, “Follow me.” They enter the ship and head down to the Master at Arms office. Upon arriving, our sailor drops off his seabag and fills out a check-in form. After filling out the form, the Master at Arms instructs our sailor to go to the mess decks, eat breakfast, and return. After the nutritious breakfast, our sailor comes back to the Master at Arms office, gets his seabag, and heads down to berthing to find out where he is going to sleep for the next six months. Upon arriving, two sheets, two pillowcases, and a blanket are given to him; the berthing petty officer points to the bunk and says, “Here you are go ahead and unpack.” Afterward, someone will pick you up so you can start the check-in process.”

If anyone has been on a deployment or cruise before on a United States Navy vessel, the furthest thing anybody wants to do is to be in the office to work, especially to check in new personnel. Most of the sailors are unpacking their seabags, putting all their clothes away in an organized manner, securing all the equipment in case of inclement weather, and spending their last moments with their family and friends before the ship gets underway, which is one of the most painful tasks. Luckily for our sailor, he had already said his goodbyes, so that was already done.

After finding the right people and getting some signatures on the check-in sheet, our sailor comes back to the Master at Arms office, where he receives information on where to go in case of “Man Overboard” and “Abandon Ship.” Fighting fires and fending off enemy attacks are critical for these two evolutions. The sailor must know where to go during “Man Overboard” so the ship can get an accurate count and determine who is missing or fell overboard. Ships hold these types of drills all the time. The idea is to get a precise count or muster of all personnel before five minutes. During the drills, the coordinator will ask one of the sailors to “hide” to ensure their division turns in an accurate count. Our sailor will go to the assigned life raft for Abandon Ship until the captain gets an exact count. If this is real and the ship is sinking, it is imperative to know where to go because that will be the new home until our sailor is rescued.

It is now close to 8 am, and it is time to go to where our sailor will work and meet the team. Coming into the office, especially where our sailor will work, is challenging. In this work environment, security clearance must be checked and verified before our sailors can even go through the door. If everything checks out well, if there are any issues, such as not having the proper paperwork, then phone calls must be made, emails must be sent, and folders must be reviewed again to ensure the paperwork was correctly placed. Try doing this while underway; the communications are not the best in the world. By the stroke of luck, our sailor checks out and is let into the space. After the team’s introduction, including the division officer and the division chief, the leading petty officer goes over what team our sailor will work with and the schedule. After a few minutes of chit-chatting, the team goes outside to man the rails.

Manning the Rails is a traditional navy ceremony where sailors line up along the ship’s rails to render honors. Manning the rails comes from “manning the yards,” which was an old custom that required crew members to stand on the spans, holding sails and cheering to honor distinguished guests. At present, manning the rails is used to honor the President of the United States and heads of state of foreign nations and during special events such as passing the USS Arizona Museum at Pearl Harbor or leaving for an extended period such as a deployment. This is a way sailors honor families and friends.

It is time to depart. At the precise moment, the boatswain mate on the bridge will blow a whistle over the 1MC or the ship’s intercom system and announce, “Underway, Shift Colors.”  The ship is underway, and the clock starts!! The mission begins; it is time to set the watch. Setting the watch is assigning sailor duties and responsibilities to ensure the continuous operation and safety of the ship. Setting the watch divides the crew into shifts or watches to cover all tasks that need to be done around the clock. Everyone from the Captain down to our sailors is responsible for the safety and security of the vessel. Even though our sailor is brand new to this experience, he is part of the crew.

We Need Residency for Doctorate Programs

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Over the weekend, there was an in-depth discussion about a picture of beans that someone posted on a Facebook group.

 

The back and forth between the members included:

           What kind of beans are they?

            Where are they from?

            What is the correct name for these?

A few individuals say that they are “Habichuelas,” which in Spanish means “String Beans.”

Others say that it looks like Green Beans.

Even a small group said these look like “Frijoles Nuevos” or “New Beans.”

It wasn’t until a group member returned to the place where the beans were discovered and took a picture with the sign that said, “Pole Beans from Florida.”

If there were a “Bean Expert” amongst the group, the mystery of the bean would have been solved without the extra trip to the store and the multiple posts back and forth.

Residency for Doctor Students

What if the same principle discussed in the above “Bean Story” applied to college graduates? Especially those with doctorates.

What does that have to do with beans? You are probably asking yourself and the author of this blog.

In many fields, a person graduates with a doctorate but has no experience.

Many programs only require homework, participation in discussion boards, passing tests, and writing a dissertation.

However, there are a few doctorate programs that require residency.

Doctorate Programs such as:

  • Doctor of Medicine (MD)
  • Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS)
  • Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD)
  • Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)
  • Doctor of Education (EdD)
  • Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)
  • Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)

I believe the same concept should be applied to other doctorates.

Here is an example:

Doctor of Management – Concentration in Executive Leadership Residency/Internship Plan

For this program, I propose the following:

  1. Complete the three-year requirement to include writing the dissertation.
  2. Each student will work with a significant company, preferably a Fortune 500 organization. During their time, the student will be alongside a member of the Executive Team serving as an “intern” or “resident.”
  3. Each “intern” or “resident” will spend up to 12 months in the program to prove they are ready for the next step.
  4. At the end of the program and with approval from the executive team based on their performance, the student graduates with a Doctorate.
  5. After graduation, the “new doctor” will work with the company where they completed the “residency” or a similar organization to begin their journey to executive management.

Many “doctors” are working outside their field to make a living. This presents a question of whether it is worth all the trouble.

Graduates should be able to bring their experience and expertise to society as soon as they graduate. Residency programs like those in the medical and education fields will make a big difference.

The Lost Cyborg and the Furry-Like Creatures

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Riding on a dark, chilly night as the cold wind whistled through the trees, the lost cyborg was trying to find his way out of the woods. He looked up and saw what he thought were several small cabins with flickering candlelights in the windows. When he got closer, he discovered that it was not just a few small cabins but a village. This is where, he thought, I could talk to someone and ask for directions to my next destination.

As he entered the village, he soon discovered, to his surprise, that the villagers were not ordinary. What was coming out of the cabins were not humans, but small furry-like creatures curious about who this tall, dark, part human, part robot cyborg riding on the big black horse was. As the furry creatures got close, the cyborg asked, “May I speak to your leader?” However, the only thing they heard was mumbling.

Suddenly, a voice came from the dark end of the cabin. “Yes, how may I help you?” The voice came from a tall, sinister-like creature. Then something strange happened; the cyborg started to chuckle because he was afraid, and suddenly everything went silent. After a brief pause, the creature said, “Friend, we don’t want to hurt you; we will help you with your journey.” There was a sigh of relief from the cyborg because he perceived that the furry-like creatures would not harm him.

A Writer and a Doctor – My Journal Conversation with God – 16 April 2024

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Dear Lord,

Thank You for this beautiful day here at my house in Jedburg.

Well, it is your house.

Maria and I are just looking after it.

I want to say “thank you” for finishing the settlement.

Even though it is not for a lot, and I won’t be retiring anytime soon to dedicate myself to a writing career,

it is good to have it finished.

The best part of the whole thing is that I am alive and have zero broken bones, internal injuries, or life-long effects.

Thank You for Your blessing throughout the whole process!

Lord, I pray the weekend went well for my daughter and her family.

I also pray that everyone had a good time.

Lord, thank You for the awesome garden.

It looks really beautiful!

That is because of your touch and care!

We dedicate the garden to You!

In Jesus’ name, we pray,

amen.

Awards Ceremony….So Stupid!!

Awards ceremony…..so Stupid!!

 

I guess it all started when I was a young seamen apprentice in the United States Navy. Here we are, standing in the hot sun with humidity close to 80% in Panama, waiting for the senior leadership from our command to arrive so that we can get on with the award ceremony. Sweating like a pig, about to be put on a rotisserie grill in preparation to be eaten by hundreds of people at the local command picnic, I am thinking, oh my God, when will this be over? I want to return to the barracks, take off this monkey suit, get into swim trunks and a t-shirt, and get to the pool. As I looked up from where I was standing, I saw the line of awardees, seven in total, in crisp dress white uniforms, smiling from ear to ear, getting ready to receive their awards. Whispering under my breath, what in the world did they do to receive awards? I hope they did something fantastic, or was it the typical thank you award for spending two years of your life in a place where the only thing that you can do is work, drink, swim, and fish, which, come to think about it, there is nothing wrong with it. 

 

After another 10 to 15 minutes and close to the point that I am getting ready to pass out, the senior leadership finally arrives with their crisp white uniforms, fancy ribbons, and, of course, those large covers, which we call hats in the Navy. As the captain took the podium, I saw him looking at his notes. From my vantage point, he was about to recite “Gone with the Wind.” With my head spinning and my heart sinking towards my stomach, he pushed his notes to the side and told the executive officer, the second in command, “Let us get on with it; I have to get to another meeting in 45 minutes.” “Thank God for Captain meetings,” was the thought going across my mind, only if it did not start sooner. 

 

The executive officer, or XO for short, started to read the first award. “The department of the Navy would like to award Petty Officer so and so the Navy Commendation Medal for their accomplishments during their tour as the lead maintenance technician, blah blah.” Well, at least this person earned it. She was a great leader and a real go-getter, keeping the maintenance division in tip-top shape. Well deserved, golf clap!! Now the XO read off the second award, “The department of the Navy would like to award Chief Petty Officer so, and so the Navy Achievement Medal for their accomplishment building a boat dock and ramp leading to our water inlet by our recreation center blah blah blah.” OK, maybe well deserved, maybe not, but at least we got a boat ramp and a dock to tie our vessels to enjoy the open water whenever we are not working. Good job, golf clap!!

 

Now, I will skip awardees three through six for now and get to the seventh awardee. “The command would like to recognize seamen so and so for their accomplishments volunteering for the Memorial Day service at the local VFW blah blah.” Well, that is cool, I thought. It is an excellent way for someone just joining the Navy to get out there and become involved. There is nothing wrong with that—tremendous, stronger golf clap for my colleague who is the same rank. 

 

Now, it is time for awardees three through six. I notice at this particular moment that the XO takes a deep breath and stands in attention straight as an arrow, heels together, and eyes forward. I thought to myself, “Oh wow, this must be a very important award.” “Lives must have been saved; babies have been rescued from a burning building.” “People were taken out of burning cars; wow, what is going on?” The XO started reading, “Ensign so and so, Chief so and so, Petty Officer so and so, and Seamen so and so, …..wow group effort, maybe the part of rescuing people from a burning wreckage is true….The Department of the Navy would like to award the Navy Achievement Medal to this group of fine Navy Sailors for….. wait for it…..coordinating the command bake sale during the command outdoor day last month.” 

 

“Are you frickin’ kidding me? All of this build-up for this crap, this is so stupid” These were the exact words that were on my mind just right after the XO said the words “last month.” Well, so, I thought. Those words that were on my mind were actually in my mouth, leaving my lips, not in a whisper, as I hoped, but in a somewhat loud voice. As soon as I said “stupid,” I looked up and saw the XO, the Captain, the awardees, my division chief, and half of my team staring straight at me. The only reason the other half of my team was not looking at me with a death stare or a quizzed look was because their minds were already on the beach, swimming in the warm ocean. 

 

As soon as I saw all those looks from hell, I started looking around to figure out, “Who said that?” However, it was too late. My chief and my Leading Petty officer looked and pointed towards me, and both said in a quiet voice simultaneously like a well-tuned orchestra. “We will see you after the ceremony. Oh crap, why couldn’t I keep those words in my mind? Oh well, it’s too late; what are they going to do? “Do not say that again” make me do pushups. Make me volunteer for the next bake sale. At least there may be an advantage to that; I can also get a Navy Achievement Medal and show it off at the next Navy Day Ball. None of the above happened. They were both going to put me on report for being disrespectful and rude for saying what I said during the award ceremony. I have a feeling that they were influenced by the captain and the XO, who were not too pleased. 

 

Of course, any typical sailor would have apologized immediately and said I accept responsibility for what happened, and it will never happen again, but not me. As soon as my division chief opened his mouth, I said, “Wow, just think, I can get a Navy Commendation Medal for not burning the pig during next month’s command picnic or receive a Purple Heart for making it back to my barracks room safely without tripping over the roots of the Elm trees. Needless to say, my chief was a little furious over the remarks and said, too late; I was going to see if you were remorseful for what you said; now you will see the XO. 

 

Whenever someone says, “You are going to see the XO,” in a not-so-pleasant tone, it usually means that you are going to an Executive Officer’s Inquiry. Executive Officer’s Inquiry, or XOI, is when the XO will look over the charges brought against the sailor and decide if the sailor needs to see the Captain or, in other words, have the case referred to Captain’s Mast. Generally, if a sailor goes to Captain Mast, they will receive a punishment of restriction and extra duty. At the command that I was at, the maximum time for restriction, or being restricted to the barracks, was 45 days, along with 45 days of extra duty consisting of two hours each day except for Sundays. Extra duty consists of doing extra work such as sweeping the passageways or hallways, scrubbing the bathrooms or heads, and anything else that the Officer of the Deck or the Master of Arms can think of at the time. Since I was going to XOI for the first time, there was a good chance I would not be going to Captain’s Mast. 

 

At XOI, the XO looked over the report, raised his head, and asked me, “Do you know why you are here?” I took a deep breath and said, “I think the reason why I am here is that I made a remark on the group of sailors that received a prestigious medal for doing something so phenomenal, so out of this world, so above the call of duty, coordinating a stupid bake sale. Of course, the XO told me, “That is enough out of you.” Afterward, he asked, why did you say that remark? I replied that the Navy Achievement Medal is a medal awarded to sailors who did something great to help the mission.” Not for a bunch of sailors that their only achievement is ensuring enough sugar cookies and chocolate frosting cupcakes with sprinkles for the bake sale last month. I bet they will be proud of the pretty medal during the next Navy Day Ball.” The XO was not too happy about my response and said, look, what you need is an attitude change, or you will not get very far in this Navy. At that moment, I said to myself, OK, that is enough; I better not push it any further. So the next words out of my mouth were, “Yes, Sir!” At that point, the XO said, “Based on the evidence in front of me and seeing that this is your first incident in the Navy, I am not going to refer this case to Captain’s Mast.” “However, you will be assigned EMI or Extra Military Instruction. You will start and keep a journal of everything for which you are thankful. You will make entries in this journal for the next 30 days. After 30 days, you will submit this journal to me for review.” “You are dismissed.”

 

Extra Military Instruction, or EMI, is a course of action assigned to the sailor to correct their discrepancy. For example, if a sailor is two hours late to work, EMI may require them to arrive 30 minutes early for the next four days. Another example is if a sailor goes partying during the time he or she is assigned to quarters because of illness, then the person may have to write a Standard Operating Procedure or SOP for being assigned to Sick in Quarters or SIQ. 

 

Of course, the XO wanted me to start my journal, What Am I Thankful For, right away, and I thought I could get it over with. There is no better time than the present. I had zero journal entries for the first couple of days. In my mind, there was nothing that I should be thankful for. In my mind, I get up, eat breakfast, go to work, eat lunch, go to work again, get off work, go to the pool, eat dinner, have a beer or two then go to bed. The next day, the same thing, rinse and repeat. After a couple of days, my leading petty officer wanted to see my journal to view the progress, which, of course, was not too much. After taking a quick peak and seeing nothing, he said. You do not have anything. Are you kidding? After a blank stare, I said that I could not think of anything spectacular that I did. I get up, eat, go to the pool, work, and sleep. That is when the leading petty officer said you need to start writing down everything. First entry, I am thankful for waking up; second entry, I am grateful the water was warm so that I can take a shower; third entry, I am thankful that I have a clean uniform to put on; fourth entry, I am thankful that my eggs were still warm when I placed them in my tray and so on. I said OK and started to fill my journal with the most trivial things; I am thankful that the pool was open. I am thankful I can get out of the pool without getting hurt. I am thankful I did not get ill by eating the food the mess hall served during Thursday’s dinner. 

 

After a while, the journal started filling up, and by the time the thirty days came and went, I filled up three volumes of the journal.  I submitted the results to the XO as he requested, and he looked over everything and asked if I had a change in attitude. Of course, I do, sir; there are many items I am thankful for, even though I’m afraid I still have to disagree with giving a medal to someone who is in charge of making sure that there is enough strawberry frosting on the donuts. He cracked a smile and said, “That is all; you are dismissed.” 

 

D.D.’s Denial

Denial has always been a part of D.D.’s life. It all started when his grandmother passed away from a long battle with tuberculosis. For many years, his grandmother has been in and out of hospitals battling this retched disease. However, it was the times when he was out of the hospital that D.D. enjoyed the time with his grandmother in a beautiful house outside of Burton, Michigan, swimming in the pool, running around in the huge backyard, or playing with the other children next door. His unique relationship with his grandmother lasted throughout his life, even after D.D. joined the Navy in 1985.

The day his division officer, a young U.S. Marine Lieutenant, pulled D.D. into the conference room in 1987 while stationed in Panama to tell him the bad news, D.D. thought he was in trouble again, the morning of his days as a young navy sailor. Was it that he forgot to wear his socks with the uniform? Was it the wrong color of socks? Was it that he was late to an event? Or did he purposely forget to attend his scheduled medical appointment on his day off? A day that he would rather sleep than go to get a routine checkup. No, this is different; with a sad voice, the lieutenant told D.D. that his grandmother passed away and that the family wanted him to come home.

His grandmother’s death was the first death of any kind that D.D. had to deal with, especially from a close family member. Yes, his Aunt Mary passed away several years earlier, but they were not close. It was hard to believe that such an event was taking place, especially when the last time he saw his grandmother was back Christmas of the previous year. D.D. was very familiar with the illness and what it can do to a person, but he never thought it would ever take her grandmother away. 

The second denial was when his grandfather passed away back in the early 1990s when D.D. was stationed in Norfolk riding ships for a living after his tour ended in Panama. His demise was somewhat expected, and his grandfather didn’t have much time left. In 1989, two years after his grandmother passed away, his grandfather told him about the news about his large aorta when he was vacationing in Tampa after his adventure in Panama. D.D. was preparing to go to an Army school to learn how to chase dits and dahs, or Morse code school in Massachusetts. 

Luckily for D.D., his grandfather did not get sick while stationed in Adak, Alaska, building snow castles, chasing caribou, or ice fishing for two years. However, his grandfather started to get ill when he got back from Alaska in 1992 and was getting ready to go to Norfolk. When he visited his family in Florida for Christmas a few months before his grandfather passed away, D.D.’s mother said they should spend quality time together because this could be the last Christmas. Even though those words were in D.D.’s head, there was no reaction or emotion; it was just a phrase in his head until the phone call later the following year, telling him to come home and say her goodbyes. 

After D.D.’s tour in Norfolk, he returned to Panama for another three years to help turn over the canal. In early 1999, D.D. departed Panama and returned to Norfolk to become part of the USS Oscar Austin’s pre-commissioning crew, a brand-new Arleigh Burke destroyer. However, before arriving in Norfolk, DD had to spend a year in Bath, Maine, to watch the workers of Bath Iron Works build the ship.

Being part of the pre-commissioning crew is an honor and a privilege. Pre-commissioning a new vessel is when the Navy picks out the best to go to a new ship to prepare her for sail. During this time, the crew will make sure all the systems are running the way they are supposed to, verify that all of the policies, procedures, and documentation are up to standards, and that all of the crew is trained on any of the new systems and mentor those who have never been out to sea. The whole process takes about 12-18 months. 

After sailing from Bath, Maine, onboard a brand-new ship, D.D. and the crew of the Oscar Austin went to Norfolk, their new home, to get ready for the commissioning ceremony. The commissioning ceremony of a U.S. Navy vessel is an extraordinary event not only for the sailors but also for their families. It is tradition to show the people attending the ceremony and the world the U.S. Navy’s brand-new ship. 

It was also a special time for D.D. because his dad, sister, and brother-in-law could attend the ceremony. They arrived a couple of days before, and D.D. was able to give them a tour of the base and the ship. It was an experience of a lifetime for the family. 

After the ceremony, the crew takes the ship out for a year-long shakedown period. For the next 12 months, all equipment and systems, from engineering to weapons to operations, will be tested to their fullest extent. After the shakedown period, the ship goes to dry dock for three to six months. During this period, everything that breaks gets fixed. 

While in dry dock, D.D. received the tragic news that his dad passed away due to a significant heart attack. The doctors diagnosed an enlarged heart, which exploded on a Tuesday afternoon in the first part of June 2021. D.D. did not hear the terrible news until the next day because he was on duty at the shipyard the day that his father passed away. After receiving the news, D.D. jumped on a plane and headed north to say goodbye to her dad. 

The most recent denial was the news that D.D.’s friend from the Navy and as a Government contractor suddenly passed away while at home in Texas. J.J. met D.D. back in 1999 while D.D. was attending technical training at a school in Florida to learn how to operate a new communications system. 

Most sailors who are transiting from one duty station to the next will attend navy schools, also known as “C” schools, to learn about any new technologies or systems they will face upon arrival at the new duty station. Typically, most “C” schools last between two weeks and two to three months. Most schools are in the major navy hubs, such as Norfolk or San Diego. However, some schools are located all over the country, such as Indiana, New Jersey, and Florida. 

Teaching sailors these new technologies is the responsibility of navy instructors, who are Subject Matter Experts. These navy instructors will serve at least three years at the school, but all three years will not be on the podium teaching. Before getting the privilege to instruct, each instructor must undergo vigorous training to become the Navy’s elite on the podium. Not only do they need to know everything they will teach, like the back of their hands, but they must also know how to present themselves to Navy students. The instructor training usually lasts two to four weeks, followed by a one to two-month side saddle with an experienced instructor teaching lessons from the podium. 

When D.D. met J.J., he had already completed all of the training and taught a couple of classes. However, he would not be teaching the class because he had just finished the previous class. After finishing a class, the instructor takes a break from the podium where they can take vacation, complete training, or help with the instruction, such as updating the curriculum. 

On the first day of class, D.D. learned that he must attend direct support training before learning about the new communication system. The only problem is that he had already taken the same class three years previously. The other problem was that he could not go directly to the new communications class because all the seats were full of students. He had to wait for his class. Upon hearing this, J.J. took D.D. to the side and told him he knew about his situation. However, he would need to attend school in the mornings and the afternoon and schedule some “appointments” to go to “wink wink.” D.D. got the message and participated in the course in the mornings, asking easy questions to the instructors, helping out the other students, and acing his exams. In the afternoons, he would go to his appointments “wink wink.” 

After departing the class, D.D. did not see J.J. until he and his new team were in Bath, Maine, attending the Christening ceremony of their new ship, “USS Howard.” They will hit the champagne bottle against the whole ship during the christening ceremony, watch it break, put the vessel into the water, and pray it does not sink. They were there a few days before J.J. and his team departed for San Diego for pre-commissioning training. 

A few years later, D.D. retired from the Navy and started to work as a contractor in Charleston, SC, doing the same thing he did in the Navy but as a civilian. One of his jobs was to go to different ships in the Norfolk and San Diego regions to teach them about the new communications systems. On one of the trips to San Diego, D.D. ran into J.J. J.J. was a chief on the ship D.D. was going to. After chit-chatting for a bit, J.J. told D.D. that he was getting ready to retire and needed to find something to do. D.D. recommended being a government contractor and doing the same thing he did. A couple of months later, J.J. was part of the contracting crew working with D.D., teaching sailors the ways of the new communication system. 

This teamwork lasted a few years until D.D. left to finish school and earn his Doctorate, and J.J. went to Saudi Arabia for a couple of years. They saw each other several times after the government contracting days but slowly lost contact. 

One Saturday evening about a year and a half ago, D.D. was in the office working on a project for the Doctorate when his wife walked in and said, “Would somebody ever joke about someone dying on Facebook?” I said, “No, that would be cruel. “That is when he pointed to the picture of J.J. that I had and said that he had just passed away,” I said that was no way and jumped on Facebook to find out what happened. There it was, an announcement from his wife that he passed away the previous day and a memorial would take place at the local base where he was living. 

So why is there so much denial in D.D.’s life? Could it be that each of the close family members and friends passed away months or years after D.D. saw them for the last time? Did D.D.’s block it out of his memory? Which he is famous for doing. Don’t dwell on the bad things; just put it in the box and throw it in the ocean. There have been several times that D.D. has had dreams about every one of them. In each dream, they are alive and well, joking around and having a good time. 

Whatever it is, being in denial and refusing to accept to acknowledge a painful or unpleasant reality has kept D.D. from going through the grieving stages after all of these years. Maybe one day, it will happen. Perhaps the writing will help the process, however, until then.

A Writer and a Doctor – My Journal Conversation with God – 8 April 2024

Dear Lord,

I want to say “thank you” for the devotion this morning.

I pray that “the light” will shine on my daughter and her family.

I pray that they will let the light direct their paths as they raise my granddaughters in their home in Kentucky.

I pray that the light shows them Your way on how they should raise their children and that there will be no anger, complications, or abuse in their home.

I pray for Your blessings on the.

I pray for Your direction on my granddaughter’s education.

Please take care of them.

Lord, thank You for blessing our visit to Kentucky to see my daughter and her family.

It was a great visit.

I also want to thank You for the new roof

Without You, none of this would ever happen.

I pray we can fix the other items around the house, such as the screen porch and the gutters.

Thank You for being in my life and saving me!

In Jesus name,

Amen.

A Writer and a Doctor – My Journal Conversation with God – 13 March 2024

Dear Lord,

Thank You for giving me a very productive day.

I was able to talk to two companies about the positions they have available,

emailed the lawyer to see the latest status of the case,

and help out my team with the project.

Thank You for allowing me to help out who I can.

It is essential that I can contribute in any way that I can.

Lord, the case is in your hands.

Please guide everyone who is involved.

Whatever the results are, I will take them because I know that Your blessings are behind this event.

Lord, I pray that you bless our trip to Lousiville and hope we can spend a wonderful birthday and Easter with the family.

Thank You for everything,

and for Oberle Roofing and the great people they have to help us replace our roof.

Your blessings are behind all of this!

Thank You!

In Jesus name,

Amen.

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