Topic: I just wanted to share!

[AlienLXIX]

Hi everybody!

I just wanted to share an email I just wrote to my 'rents.  I guess I just want to share the JOY and tears with my friends too!

Be good to eachother!

And Congratulations to the Graduating Class of 2005!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hiya Mom and Mom & Dad!

I wish I had the energy last night to write to ya but by the time we got home it was about 10:30 pm and I had to get up early today to help my Dad go food shopping for Andrew's grad party.

As Steve and I were driving home with the boys crashed out in back he said some so profound to me.  He said, "We got to witness both an ending and a beginning today.  Twice!"  I had to sit there for a little and ponder that but he was right! 

Earlier in the day his Chief, Chief McCurdy, retired.  He was a really neat guy, very smart, and he also knew how to get his sailors to think not just do.  I have to say, Mom, maybe it was a good thing you had a horrendous headache or I would have had you crying too.  Because during the ceremony he gets to say a few words right well he said, "Since I won't be here when you guys get these I want to give them to you now."  And he proceeds to give his PO1/E6s the anchors off his own uniform!  I was the first to crack and I had to cover my mouth as tears were streaming down my face.  That was so unexpected and so heart felt, you just knew that he had the utmost confidence that one day they were going to make it to Chief.  Of course there wasn't a dry eye in the office when the poem "The Watch" was read.  Arrgghh I just spent about 15 min. looking for the darn poem on the Internet and I can't find it!  Anyway it's about a sailor that has stood the watch for his shipmates, his family and his country till his retirement and in the end it becomes a thank you for all your years of service standing the watch but now you are relived of that duty.  Poor Cat she couldn't get though that without crying herself which of course had me in tears again!  An ending yet a fresh beginning! 

The party was fun and lively with stories being told and much laughter going round.  The steaks that Chief McCurdy had for us was to die for!  Not many foods out there taste as good from first to last but these did!  Just to be kinda gross but even the burp a few hours later was good!   

So now the office part has wound down and it's time to take Chief to the hoochee bars.  We drop off the kids at Dad's and head on down to Wikiki for some errrr dancing!  Yeah dancing!  I have two things to say, 1)Why do all those girls have to wear heavy see though 5" heels?  I mean whatever happened to leather boots?  and 2) I sooooooooooo want to have a brass dance poll in my bedroom!  Gosh that just looks like a great way to get excersize hanging upside down with just my legs!

Unfortunately we didn't get to stay for long and Steve and I were disappointed when the girl we were hoping to see was just getting on stage while we were leaving!

So now we are on our way to see Andrew graduate from high school.  You know during that drive all I was doing was going though my memories and feeling old since when I graduated from Pearl City HS Andrew was there and he was just a year and a half old!  I used to take care of this big kid.  I used to wipe his tushy and get him to calm down enough to take his medications when he was sick.  In a way this one was my first baby!  LOL  Hel I couldn't trust my own dad to take care of this little guy!  I swear you'd think that after being a dad to Marty and I he would have it down pat!  Not!  I can still remember the day he was born, he was all of about 8 hours old and Ellen was in the bathroom when he started to cry and I don't mean a little whimper I mean a big ol yowl!  My Dad just panicked and kept asking Ellen though the bathroom door, "Oh My GOD!  Something's wrong with the baby, Ellen!  Should I call the nurse?!"  So I am watching this for about half a minute with my mouth open.  I go over and coo at Andrew and pick him up gently so now Dad is focused on me saying, "DON'T DROP HIM!"  As soon as I have him to my shoulder and is patting his back he quiets down and burps.  My first burp! 

And now we are sitting on the bench and I am hearing the names off all these young (so young!) people being named and I have to say even though I was wearing a nice dress (with real pearls even!) I was standing up and screaming out his, and a friend of ours, name as if my life depended on it.  You know what?  I didn't care who thought I was nuts!  I had Steve standing up with me!  So again an ending and a new beginning!

Thanks for reading my long story but I really had to share it with somebody!

I love you all!

Amy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BTW does anyone have the poem "The Watch"?  I really would love to have it so that I can pass it on to my mum.

XOXOXO

[Iceman]

Is this what you seek?

http://truthliesandcommonsense.blogspot.com/2004/09/watch-as-read-at-my-retirement.html

Hope that helps, I'll keep looking.

[Jack Morris]

I thought Alien was gonna say she got pregnant! 

Good story BTW...

[Iceman]

I thought Alien was gonna say she got pregnant! 

Good story BTW...

As did I, but I thought I was the only one.

[AlienLXIX]

Is this what you seek?

http://truthliesandcommonsense.blogspot.com/2004/09/watch-as-read-at-my-retirement.html

Hope that helps, I'll keep looking.

Um No!  Unless I am seeing something compleatly diffirent from what you read . . .  The poem I am talking about has nothing to do with luck and being greedy.

[Tus-XC]

this it?

http://www.poemhunter.com/p/m/poem.asp?poet=7303&poem=38495

The Watch on Deck
     
     Becalmed upon the equatorial seas,
   A ship of gold lay on a sea of fire;
   Each sail and rope and spar, as in desire,
Mutely besought the kisses of a breeze;
Low laughter told the mariners at ease;
   Sweet sea-songs hymned the red sun's fun'ral pyre:
   Yet One, with eyes that never seemed to tire,
Watched for the storm, nursed on the thunder's knees.

Thou watcher of the spirit's inner keep,
Scanning Death's lone, illimitable deep,
   Spread outward to the far immortal shore!
While the vault sleeps, from the upheaving deck,
Thou see'st the adamantine reefs that wreck,
   And Life's low shoals, where lusting billows roar.

David MacDonald Ross

[Tus-XC]

that one ain't it, but this one is (and i'm pretty damn sure it is to )

http://members.tripod.com/NCPOA/creeds.htm

The Watch

For twenty years
This sailor has stood the watch

While some of us were in our bunks at night
This sailor stood the watch

While some of us were in school learning our trade
This shipmate stood the watch

Yes.. even before some of us were born into this world
This shipmate stood the watch

In those years when the storm clouds of war were seen brewing on the horizon of history
This shipmate stood the watch

Many times he would cast an eye ashore and see his family standing there
Needing his guidance and help
Needing that hand to hold during those hard times
But he still stood the watch

He stood the watch for twenty years
He stood the watch so that we, our families and
Our fellow countrymen could sleep soundly in safety, Each and every night
Knowing that a sailor stood the watch

Today we are here to say
"Shipmate... the watch stands relieved
Relieved by those You have trained, Guided and Lead
Shipmate you stand relieved.. we have the watch..."

"Boatswain..Standby to pipe the side...Shipmate's going Ashore.."

[Iceman]

Is this what you seek?

http://truthliesandcommonsense.blogspot.com/2004/09/watch-as-read-at-my-retirement.html

Hope that helps, I'll keep looking.

Um No!  Unless I am seeing something compleatly diffirent from what you read . . .  The poem I am talking about has nothing to do with luck and being greedy.

Not sure what you're seeing, but here's how i read that site.

Today our navy has given most of the pomp and circumstance, the honors, traditions, and ceremonies back to history…time does not give us the freedom to do these things from the past…but, we still have to stop all engines, lay about smartly, and drop anchor to pay homage to one of our shipmates going ashore. To honor the years served, the guidance, the leadership, the friendship and the expertise that this shipmate has freely given these 22 years.

For twenty-two years
This sailor has stood the watch

While some of us were in our bunks at night
This sailor stood the watch

While some of us were in school learning our trade
This shipmate stood the watch

Yes.. even before some of us were born into this world
This shipmate stood the watch

In those years when the storm clouds of war were seen brewing on the horizon of history
This shipmate stood the watch

Many times he would cast an eye ashore and see his family standing there
Needing his guidance and help

Needing that hand to hold during those hard times
But he still stood the watch

He stood the watch for twenty-two years
He stood the watch so that we, our families and

Our fellow countrymen could sleep soundly in safety, Each and every night
Knowing that a sailor stood the watch

Today we are here to say
'Shipmate... the watch stands relieved

Relieved by those You have trained ,Guided, and Led
Shipmate you stand relieved.. We have the watch..."

"Boatswain..Standby to pipe the side...Shipmate's going Ashore.."

[AlienLXIX]

MAHALO NUI LOA Tus and Iceman!  That's the one!  My mom-in-law sent it to me also since she's married to the retired sailor in the family.

I really don't understand how we were looking at the same site but didn't see the same thing Iceman! 

Thanks again! 

[Iceman]

weird. No worries though.