I spent six years in the United States Navy. How I got there is a story in itself.
Not many guys turn 24 years old in during boot camp, but joining the Navy was a desperation play with three prongs.
I didn’t join because of legal trouble. No judge said, “You either join the military or go to jail.” I wasn’t even headed in a bad direction, but I was struggling. I desperately needed direction and discipline—the first two prongs of my personal Hail Mary. But more importantly, the thing that brought it all into focus was a broken heart.
That third prong of my desperation pushed me over the edge. My girl broke my heart, and I had no clue how to move forward. Thirty-nine years later, that girl is my wife and has been for fourteen years.
But back then? I needed to get away from my situation, something fierce, so I joined the Navy for a six-year hitch. I got out of the Navy a week shy of my 30th birthday.
My mom didn’t like my decision, and telling her I had a girl in every port didn’t help. But I signed on the dotted line, raised my hand, took an oath, and saw so much of the world. My wife now likes to say I should thank her for that opportunity.
I’ve visited many countries: the Azores, Spain, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates. I’ve passed through both the Suez and Panama Canals. As a lowly Pollywog, I crossed the equator and became an honored Shellback.
I’ve been to Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil. I’ve swum in the ocean in places like Puerto Rico, Saint Thomas, and the Dutch East Indies island of Curacao.
As the Navy said, it’s not just a job; it’s an adventure, and it was. I cherish both those memories and the men I served with.
Politics and ideologies aside, one of the things I learned from all my travels is this: wherever you go, people are just people. They share the same basic needs and wants. They have the same intrinsic value imbued by their creator.
When we learn to see beyond the labels and racial identities assigned to us by society and culture, we find common ground in the brotherhood of mankind. And that’s the challenge I’m leaving you with today: endeavor to see the people around you as God created them. A change in perspective would do us all a world of good.
“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27 NIV)
Les Ferguson, Jr. is a minister and faith-based author. He can be reached at lfergusonjr@gmail.com
