A Sad But Welcome Change

 Early on in my career, I was granted the wonderful opportunity instructing at a military school in Kingston. My three years there were easily the most rewarding of my career, and it left an indelible mark. So much so, in fact, that I had devised a plan to hopefully finish out my career in the school environment. This summer, I was granted that wish, receiving my posting to another military school, this time in the National Capital Region.

Unfortunately, despite efforts that would ultimately lead to an August breakdown, I will no longer be a member of that unit, having received news of a posting to the Canadian Armed Forces Transition Unit. While my brain proved wonderfully adept at picking up a second language, my abilities to multitask, organize, and generally remember anything have been severely and permanently compromised.

For those new...truck vs. cyclist (me). Truck won.

I am obviously quite sad to leave a unit with whom I’d dreamed of being a member. Teaching and coaching have always been in my blood. But it was time for a reality check.

I simply cannot do what I once did. It was for this reason that I requested this transfer, a transfer I was vehemently against one year earlier. Funny how life can change.

So what does all of this mean? The unit I am heading to was established as a holding unit for ill and injured soldiers, both to allow them proper time to recover while also preparing them for the transition to civilian life. This is the welcome part of the change I alluded to in the title. Rather than a simple but forced exit stage-left, I’ll be granted the time to ‘get things right’, which is immensely reassuring, and also puts my family’s hearts a little more at ease.