Sailing Aboard the Navigator
By Michael C.
Old Sailing Ship by Bim from Getty Images Signature Created in Canva
Standing aboard the Navigator, I see land off in the distance. I sailed with the Navigator for the past three years, and it has been a voyage full of ups and downs. Beside me stands our captain. He also has sailed with the Nav for the past three years. Looking through my binoculars, I can see the new recruits standing at the port. Seeing them standing there nervous and shuffling their feet reminds me of the first time I met the crew aboard the Navigator. Live Sessions were never really my thing, and I was so nervous to unmute. I remember that Live Session like it was yesterday. My voice was trembling as I introduced myself.
It took me a while to find my sea legs aboard the Navigator, but the crew was compassionate and always willing to help me out when I struggled in my job as a sailor. “We’re all in the same boat,” they said. I made lots of mistakes in my first year like forgetting about our live session or writing in first person. However, through help from our advisor, Mrs. Meyer, I grew as a sailor that year.
Sailors aboard the Navigator always got the summer off, but during that summer after my first year, our advisor and our captain dealt with a problem regarding the images at the Nav. A new position was created on the Navigator called the Image Manager who was responsible for making sure the Nav used the right images.
During my second year I became an officer and took on more responsibilities as image manager. It was a lot of work, but it helped contribute a lot to the Nav and soon the old articles from previous years became available again. I was not a perfect image manager. There were many periods throughout the year where I was lazy and did not get much work done. However, as my second year came to a close, I was able to get all the old articles updated with new images. The captain who had led the Navigator for three years, and sailed for a total of four years, graduated and moved on to the next phase of her life. She appointed the first mate, John, as her successor to the role of Captain.
In my third year as a sailor and my second as image manager, I was a seasoned veteran aboard the Navigator, yet I still made many mistakes. As a lifelong procrastinator, I would often wait till the night before publication to work on the images. The captain and his first mate were very gracious with me, and even came alongside me to help me in my duties at times. In the past, the Navigator only had around ten or eleven sailors, but during this year the Navigator had fourteen people helping to keep the Navigator running. With a full crew, the Navigator was bustling and full of life during this year. Towards the end of the year, I found a sailor willing to take up the job as image manager.
Now the Navigator comes into port. The crew lowers the gangplank, the captain says his goodbyes then steps off. I pick up my bag and take one last look around the ship, at the crew who I worked and sailed with over the last three years. Walking down the steps off the boat, I pass the new recruits going aboard. They all have nervous smiles on their faces, but they are greeted warmly by the new captain and his crew along with the advisor. The Navigator picked up its anchor, and was off. I stand and watch till it sails past the horizon and I can see it no longer. It makes me so sad to think that the Nav will continue to sail without me on board to be a part of the adventure, but I am thankful for the time I got to spend at the Navigator, and I am so happy for the future sailors that get to be a part of the finest ship at sea.
Columns:👤NSA People, 🗞️Staff Stories
Michael C. lives in South Asia with his parents and three siblings. He is in twelfth grade and has been at NSA for five years. His hobbies include working out, listening to music, and playing basketball. Michael enjoys all things Star Wars, DC, and LOTR.