Class of 2025, I spent 21 years in the Canadian Navy and the more I tried to shape a career the harder fate laughed while deftly throwing wrenches into the monkey works.
At some point I stopped searching for paths to the horizon with binoculars and paid more attention to challenges right in front of me. An opportunity to go submarines appeared out of nowhere, which I had never thought about it. But I said yes please. 14 months later I was trained and qualified to serve as OOW.
Out of the blue, a navigation course was offered. Destroyers. But I was deathly prone to seasickness. Something made me say yes. It wasn’t until a year later I found the submarine navigator role I came back to perfectly placed me to be selected for an unexpectedly early opportunity to be the operations officer. I said yes. I was counseled that Teaching navigation in Esquimalt would slow my career, but it looked like fun. I said yes.
On return to boats, I was offered an Australian exchange posting in boats. I said yes. But we became shorthanded and were asked to stay and be Ops O in another boat. I said yes.
Doing so allowed me the opportunity to become aware of, consider and apply for postgrad in Naval Architecture. A huge, unexpected career change. I said yes. As a Nav Arch I was offered a posting to the US and again counseled it would slow my career and take the weekend to think about it. I said I don’t need the weekend, I said yes.
I found out later that had I took that time, someone else would have gotten the job. Working in the States, a support contractor offered me a job. I was flattered but being a year from retirement, could not say yes, but kept the door open by saying call me in a year. They did, for a 9-month job. I asked what happens then? I was told “something will come up”, no guarantees. I said yes. Sold everything, packed up the family and moved to DC.
After 5 years in DC I applied for a position in the Santa Barbara office, I had no business asking for. The company said yes. That was 25 years ago. I retired 8 years ago, and my kids challenged me to try something different, out of my comfort zone. So, I said yes to acting and am very active in local community theater, student and independent films. I made many good friends doing so.
Bottom line up front: Advice I gave my daughters: show up on time, do your job, and you will be in the top 10%. They did and they are. And my lesson learned: say yes to opportunity, if you don’t, someone else will. Oh, and having recently taken some city college credit classes I will add: Spend more time listening than transmitting. It’s amazing what you will learn.
Alfred Smith, Class of 1978
