I know what this symbol signifies. Do you?
I don’t recall exactly how I got onto this particular tangent, but yesterday I found myself staring illiterately at an image of three nautical flags that served as some sort of annoying internet advertisement that flashed at me as I wasted time online tried to do research. The image was simple, and just below the three squares you could see the acronym “S.O.S.” spelled out for all non-seafaring mortals to comprehend.
“Wait, is that what sierra really looks like?” I asked myself, “Is this interpretation correct?”
I started to feel a bit panicky as I tried to invoke the complete nautical alphabet in vain. The flags that had been long ago memorized and stood as the foundation of my maritime awakening were now more faded and tattered than the ones you see flapping in the wind out here in West Africa.
Have I been gone from the Navy for too long? Maybe- because it would appear that my figurative bosun’s locker got cleaned out while I wasn’t paying attention.
I’m not a naval officer, but I do play one in Dakar sometimes. No wait a minute, I really am a naval officer. I swear I haven’t forgotten.
I suspect that this potentially terrifying “Have I forgotten how to do my job?” epiphany is quite common amongst the officers who have participated in this fantastic scholarship. After all, the idea is to immerse yourself in another culture and trade in the daily rigors of military life for a much slower change of pace. Sounds pretty great, doesn’t it? And it really is- but I will say that learning how to adapt to this new cadence can be pretty tough at the outset. It’s a bit like coming home after a deployment and feeling a bit lost because all of a sudden there isn’t a damn thing that you need to do.
I am now over two years removed from that first twinge of “I am too Type A to sit here and do nothing” sentiment. I am quite comfortable with my routine, and I’ve got a cadre of friends who come from many corners of West African life. I think it’s pretty fantastic, but I am also acutely aware that in a few months I will have to walk back through that wall of fire known as culture shock and rewire my brain so that it is compatible with my previous life.
Where was that advertisement for S.O.S. flags, and how can I order them?
We’ve had a naval exercise taking place in our region over the past week, and I was heartened to discover that taking a tour on board a brand new warship was actually pretty damn exciting for me.
And yes, the bridge was a real highlight as I geeked out over the propulsion configuration. “It’s like Playstation!” was the only comment I offered in demonstrating my SWO-pin proven proficiency in ship-handling. At least I used to be proficient…
I’m getting off topic, but a trip into the bow of the ship made me smile as I learned that no matter the Navy (or Coast Guard, as the case is here), we sailors are always looking for free spaces to store stuff that will be brought back home after a long underway period.
So getting back to my Fine Navy Day ways shouldn’t be too painful- especially seeing as how I don my uniform from time to time in order to interact with the Senegalese Navy and Cape Verdean Coast Guard. My ability to do this has been an awesome bridging of two worlds- one that I believe will make me a better officer because I have cultivated a sense of empathy on multiple levels within several seemingly singular cultures.
At left is a Cape Verdean officer who is originally from Guinea-Bissau. I met him a year ago as he gave me a tour of his ship. On the right is the Commanding Officer of this fancy bit of space-age technology- I met him two years ago when I first arrived and started helping out with the mission in West Africa. These guys are awesome to work with, and over the months I have found that we’ve established a pretty great rapport. On this day one of them said to me, “When I first met you, I thought you were very strict and serious- now I know that this is not the case.” I think a big part of this scholarship is figuring out how to see through first impressions.
And the same can be said about the Senegalese Navy. I first met many of these guys two years ago- and after so much time and indeed a number of awkward social interactions they are now the first people I gravitate towards when I am looking for some good banter. I have no desire to speak to the U.S. military folks who are currently in town and remarking at how happy they are that they travel with a Cipro prescription. I feel like I’m a different person. Yet still the same.
And today we all got to attend a reception put on by the Senegalese Navy. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the best Navy band that I have ever heard in my life. Someday, inch’allah, when I have a respectable internet connection, I will upload the video I took so that you too can jam to the fine tunes.
I’m not sure that I’m conveying my point in a terribly coherent manner, but I guess what I’m trying to work in here is that there is an upside to my misremembering a bunch of alphabet flags. It would seem that over the course of the past couple of years I have supplanted this skill set with a knowledge that allows me to identify flags of a whole new and decidedly more interesting nature. That’s the whole point of life, isn’t it? To always be seeking out and learning new things?
I kinda can’t wait to figure out what else I’ve forgotten after all this time….but let’s just hope it’s nothing that’ll have me strolling back into work looking like a damn fool. At least not on the first day.
