A letter from my former LPO (12DEC2011)

So is it AT1 now? Well, your email says otherwise. Get it fixed:-) Anyways, just wanted say congratulations on your cap to First. Well deserved. Obviously you did some things over there at 143 that impressed the leadership and they rewarded you accordingly. Take that for what it worth and continue to work your way up. Now, I gonna throw you a few bones that are not normally covered in PO1 indoc...

Learn to take your lumps. The hits are gonna come fast and hard in your pay grade now. You're going to be held accountable for just about everything and everyone under you. Whether you are the LPO or not, just by holding the rank as a First Class in a work center, you are expected to manage and lead.
And what I mean by learning to take you lumps is: learn to take those ass chewings. What most first classes don't understand is how to separate professional criticism from a personal attack. Once you learn that, you see that it's more about mental toughness than anything. As you show that mental toughness and the ability to correct your mistakes, you'll start to gain a lot of respect from your leadership and things may get a lot easier for you down the road.

Remember that senior leadership are people first. Some sailors tend think of senior leadership as being "Holy-er than thou," which is, as you know, far from true. Your leaders are no different from you and me...they're just holding a higher rank or position. And just like the people in this world, you have some good ones, some mediocre ones, and some terrible ones. Learning to deal with those different types of leadership has always been and continue to be a challenge. And yes, you will run into that Chief one day who doesn't like "women" leading men in the Navy, and he's gonna give you a hard time. Again, learning how to deal with these type of people is key, and they will eventually respect you as such.

And last but not least, your sailors. I'm sure you've already experienced it in the Second Class ranks, but it's even worse as you move up...competition and backstabbing. A lot of first classes tend to forget that their primary job is to LEAD sailors. That's why you're called "first line leaders." Most first classes get caught up in the eval process for making Chief and stray off course trying to do so. If you're taking on 4 collateral duties, going to school, but your shop is fucked up, then you've lost sight of your primary job. The Chief's mess has an eye for that type of stuff and you'll get picked apart when they see you. Another thing to keep in mind when you get that LPO job...You don't have to be the SME (subject matter expert) to lead a work center. All you need are 2 technically solid and strong second classes; one as you right-hand man to supervise the maintenance on days, and one to run nights. Don't consume yourself too deep into the maintenance part of the job that you lose your overall grip on the shop as a whole. And yes, it is okay for one of your second classes to be a little more technically inclined than you. Just learn all you can from them and in return, teach them how to manage/lead.

That concludes my "words of wisdom." Again, congrats on your CAP, and continue to do what you've been doing. No matter what path you decide to take, LDO or CPO, use this experience as a building block and set yourself up for success. Use your resources because it aint gonna get any easier (Bronson is learning that one right now:-)


V/R
ATC(AW) Kenneth S. Dewitt
CNATTU Oceana

Not the one

You held my heart in your hand
Your hand
And I tried but I could never make
You understand
And when I saw you this weekend I finally realized
You're not the one
You're not the one

Christmas lights and carriage rides
Red lips, pin curls and pearls
Laughter and love, and freezing toes
But no - you're not the one.

I held your heart in my hand
My hand
And you told me but you couldn't make
Me understand
And when I see you this weekend I hope you'll realize
You're not the one
You're not the one

City lights and opera seats
Red dress, long talks and walks
Honest and open, great distance looms
Still no - you're not the one

Ohhh, whoa, whoa, whoa
Baby, don't worry
You're in my heart you're in my prayers
And Baby... our story
Will make sense one of these years
So toss your fears
Toss those fears
Cuz it's they-
And not you (it's you)
They're not 'the one'...

Reminder

And yet soon was two months ago
Or thereabout

And hearing your voice on the phone tonight
Made me remember
Remember to think, remember to write
Remember
And on and on I read, kept reading; until-
Until I remembered
Once again, and picked up my keyboard quill
To type.
But wait - I can't remember - or somehow
The words...
They're just gone, their beauty faded now
Where'd they go?

And I am left here staring and hoping
And dreaming.

time...

It's been a very long time, but finally, I feel verse, poetry, prose fraught with... beauty?.... all rolling about in my head again.

I will write soon. Very soon.

I feel it.

Today...

A lovely day it was today
The sun, the air
My heart.
So calm, so peaceful
So ready to move on
Whatever's out there
Waiting to inspire me
Make me laugh
Sweep over my soul
Like an ocean breeze

And as the night
Quietly tiptoes in
And gently brushes its fingertips
Over my lashes
Tired, so tired -
I succumb to it's sprinkling
Of beach sand.

So goodnight.

=)

"Walking at night..."

I like to walk, and never seem to do enough of it since I moved to Virginia. Now that I live in a neighborhood, it'll be great to go on walks and such in the lovely summer evenings when I finally get home. When I was a teenager, I used to go on walks almost every night. By myself, with my sisters, or with one of the younger kids in the stroller. Those walks were something I couldn't live without. They provided a sense of freedom that I couldn't find anywhere else; our home was so controlled, so protected by my mother, that it seemed as though we had to ask permission to breathe. When I would take those walks, I could talk to my sisters about anything, without worrying about being overheard, or judged. I could let my mind wander or not think about anything in particular without being told that I was not putting my time to good use. Mom considered these walks of ours a rather harmless indulgence, and would frequently allow it; little did she know that it was the only chance for sanity that was afforded us at times. On nights when I knew she'd say no, I'd sneak out oh so quietly and walk as quickly as I could, just one time, around the block, for even those few minutes were too precious to relinquish...

Just Live

(written July 12, 2004- Pensacola, FL)

I found out what it was like to live
I found out where hapiness hides
I now know what to take, to give
And where patient time abides

A smile a laugh from you to me
Is what keeps the river flowing
Just open your eyes and you will see
What it takes to keep on going

Sorrow is only passing sad
It comes and goes in storm
YOU decide how terribly bad
And then rise up in the morn

Sadness can be underlying
But happiness has it's place
No matter how often you think you're dying
Between the two it's just a race

A race to see which holds out most
And both seem great in turn
When one dominates the other's a ghost
Our hearts with raging fires burn

So live just LIVE!!!
Just learn and grow
Go on forget the madness
Take all in stride
And soon you'll know
No difference betwixt joy and sadness