Hubby and Wifey's Blog

Everybody starts with first time… First time to walk, run, cry, and love. All of us experienced this phenomenon in our lives. It is hard to be a first timer… My captain told me that first time is the worst time in your life and I believe him. There is a saying that you will remember and it will put in your mind when you are in a trash of first time experience. No one is perfect and we must just charge it to experience.
July 24, 2008, this is the date when I became a 3rd officer onboard the ship. Life is different from rating to officer. Before when I was a rating I just obey order and I don’t command others. I just obey and obey and obey. The triple “O” which the PMMA graduates stick to there mind at all times. As a 3rd officer aboard the ship, this is the beginning of a new life for me. New rules and new atmosphere for the rest of my contract here in MT Ruby Express. Things are different for me because before when I was a rating I do all the hard jobs on deck and I always do it without assistance. For now when I’m working here aboard the ship I have the right to ask for assistance from ratings. I just tell them what they will do and that’s it I’m done with my order from them. I feel not complete for that attitude… I prefer to do it by my self and not to pass it from other but things change for me as an officer. It makes my jobs easier when the ratings assist me on my jobs on port and at sea and that is part of our job. There are some jobs that I don’t ask for assistance and that will be paper works and my daily jobs on life saving equipment and fire fighting equipment. My captain told me that being an officer is not an easy job but it takes a discipline to practice your leadership and responsibility to command the crew. I believe him and it’s hard to ask or to give order from the crew because I was a senior cadet before then I was promoted as 3rd officer. They look at me as a cadet even I’m already a 3rd officer. They want to command me and they want that they will be in charge of me. I don’t listen to them and the consequence for that is they will be mad at me and tell me that “naging opisyal ka lang yumabang ka na!”.
Sometimes I ignore them and follow what I want because I know that I am right. Still they want to be in charge to all of my duties and responsibilities. I fight back and I always told them that incase of misunderstanding and an accident the one who will blame is “me” not you. They will be mad at me when I tell them that word. I just thinking if they want to command they must take board exam so that they can command their own responsibility. There responsibility is different form me and I strive hard and give all my effort and life to become officer aboard the ship. My 2nd officer told me that its part of life 3rd mate. They know you as senior cadet before and they command you before, now things are different. You are now in charge of them and you will command them. They just don’t believe that you are now an officer to command them. Sometimes they apply the experience onboard the ship. Yup… they have more experience than you are but they don’t have a license but for you 3rd mate you are still new in this kind of life but your already have a license and you already use it in just a short time basis. You cannot blame them but you must feel them that you are now the boss not them. Even they will be angry on you, you’re still the officer aboard the ship.
I do what 2nd officer told me and I fight and apply all the right things that I know its right. Time passed and some of the rating accept me as there officer because I apply to them that I deserve to be respected not to be laughed and ignored. This is the struggle of my first time to be an officer aboard the ship.