Padre’s Corner: Make it a grand adventure
By Lt A-J Cottreau
BTL Chaplain, CFB Halifax
It is that time of year again, posting season. There are farewell luncheons, barbecues, and gatherings to say goodbye to colleagues and their families, or perhaps you’re the one who is heading to a new base, wing, or formation.
It can be so difficult to say goodbye, because as we all know, after working so closely together for a few years, our colleagues can quickly become close friends or even family. During the pandemic, many of us formed our “bubble” with other CAF members. But Active Posting Season (APS) is not like it was 20 or 30 years ago when communication meant traditional snail mail or expensive long-distance phone calls. Now we have FaceTime, Messenger, Skype, email, texts, and so many other ways to keep in touch!
This life we have chosen is a somewhat nomadic life, isn’t it? It is a life of adventure and new experiences, some good, some trying, and others that are once-in-a-lifetime special. What other career offers us the opportunity to get to know people from across the country and explore different provinces and territories?
We are fortunate to have a say in where we get posted. By filling in our posting preferences, we can let the career manager know where we would like to go. Sometimes we get one of our choices, but that isn’t always the case. Perhaps you have been posted to a place where you don’t necessarily want to go. Does that mean that it will be an awful experience? Not necessarily. We get out of our postings what we put into them. There are things we can do to make each posting a positive experience, not only for ourselves, but for our families as well.
By exploring new communities, we can discover a hidden treasure of activities that we can enjoy. By seeking out local groups who share a common interest, we can build new friendships. No matter where we are posted, we can make it a grand adventure.
