#Hoops and yoyo panic button how to#

I halfway threw up my hand somewhere in the vicinity of my face, averted my eyes, and drove away hiding my embarrassed laughter. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to salute in gym clothes, or even if I was supposed to salute someone in a different branch of the military. I was driving onto a base in gym clothes and the Marine guard saluted me. The things we learned alone the hard way was even more comical.

#Hoops and yoyo panic button how to#

I started forging friendships with some other brand new Ensigns and the number of times we had to ask each other “do you know how to do this?…” was comical. Thankfully, I wasn’t the only newbie in my unit.

Now, granted, the Navy trains you over time as well, but I wanted to make a good first impression so I tried to learn what I could before showing up in uniform. I’d hesitantly mimic those around me, throwing out “sirs” and “copy thats,” not knowing if I was using terms correclty. I stumbled around at first feeling like a child trying on adult clothes. It was a strange combination of not understanding even the basic things, like when to salute, yet simultaneously being seen as an authority figure because of the rank on my chest. Going from knowing nothing to *poof!* You’re an officer! felt like being a toddler all over again. I came in through a specific program that allowed civilians to apply even if you had never served in uniform before. I became a reserve naval officer after I was already 30 years old. Like when I first joined the armed forces. But while I still often prefer to work alone and go at my own pace, I’ve learned:Ī.) sometimes you just don’t have that option (like in the military where, at times, I haven’t been allowed to run to the bathroom without a buddy), andī.) even the times when I thought I was “doing it on my own” in life – I still needed help from other people in various forms to succeed.