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Culver joins Navy

Culver joins Navy
By Michael Stock

My nephew Bobby Lee Culver is leaving to join the Navy, serve his country and go adventuring into life.  This transition causes this old sailor to reflect on the path this life takes.

Bobby Lee came into my life when he was about 6 or 7.  We had really good times together and I guess we have learned a lot from each other.  As he entered high school, he struggled to find his place and was fairly unfocused.

Then, he found football at Grayson High School and joined the new JROTC program.  Each of these groups gave him a cause greater than himself to concentrate upon and his life suddenly (like a light switch) changed. He did well in football  as a member of the team.

Once in JROTC, he wanted to become a better leader so he dedicated his efforts to understanding what were the attributes of a good leader. He applied what he had learned and excelled as a leader in JROTC.  He has now matured into a fine young adult with goals and dreams and a wide-eyed approach to his upcoming Navy life.  He leaves soon for boot camp. In the last couple weeks before he leaves,  I have been hanging close with him and providing whatever wisdom and life experiences I can in the short time that he will be here.  

As a young lad, I was a reader like he is and loved the stories of the sea, the romance of sailing and the tales of WWII Navy experiences from my Dad.  I hope I have sparked some of the same sense of adventure with my tales as I was at his age. My mind was  filled with wonder and prompted me to go exploring in the Navy and in life.    

As Bobby Lee charts a new course, we are proud of our young sailor.

Bon Voyage young Bobby Lee Culver.  See us when you can, and come back to us when your trick is done.

So throw off the bowlines,
Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.

                 -Mark Twain..

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