ROCKS AND HARD PLACES

ROCKS AND HARD PLACES

    The black man stopped to stare at the poster on a wall when he was treading the sidewalk. It was a promotion ad put there by the US Navy to encourage citizens to join their group.  The words which dwelt on patriotism, privileges and benefits lined the sheet of paper; strong enough to excite his ambitions. He reflected on his life and weighed the odds, then decided that in comparison to his monotonous and often trying predicament; the Navy might just offer him something better. He was tired of living a monotonous and pointless life under his father’s roof; under the pretense of being cared for and protected from the harsh realities of the world, but was actually being restrained by a fascist-minded individual, as was his estimation of the circumstance he was in.

    Contrary to the advice and protestations of his parent, he went to the town hall where naval recruiters coaxed at curious male onlookers and passersby-playing at their ardor with speeches about nobility, honor, and promising remunerations. After convincing himself that this was a better alternative, he fell in line and got himself enlisted.

    After surpassing the training period and being assigned to sea; he found himself billeted in the kitchen of a warship with others from his race; including some minorities of Hispanic and Asian descent. Every now and then, officers would verbally abuse him and give arduous and demeaning orders to carry out; such as wiping the floors of frequently used passageways or cleaning the latrine. Not to mention the occasional insults and derogatory statements thrown at him by Caucasian seamen.

    On one voyage, the captain of the ship unintentionally made a critical error by ordering the vessel to sail in turbulent waters which was caused by a storm. The black man was astounded when the destroyer tilted sideways more than its allotted rolling angle. When it righted, the ship lurched forward; stern astoundingly higher than its bow which was momentarily submerged underwater. Before the ship leveled, another wave slammed against the middle deck and pushed the ship beneath the tempestuous waters. The panic-stricken seaman watched as his section of the ship flooded up.

    When the storm abated, there were serious damages discovered on the ship which had to be repaired immediately as a precaution for any other potential storm surges. The sailor and his beleaguered peers were dispatched to attend the repairs. He thought it quite unfair that just because he was part of the crew, he had to stand for the mistakes of inept officers despite their having treated him ignominiously. Upon considering his situation, he found himself in a three-way dilemma: (1) He could not return to his father because he knew the old man would consistently rant at him about his impertinent decision. (2) He was in the middle of a chaotic sea on a battered ship sailing through a storm, and he had to endure that predicament because there was nowhere else he could go. (3) He could jump off the ship; be rid of his commitment to the navy and, most likely, die without having to hear the repetitively condescending admonishment of his father.

    Cuba Gooding, Jr., in two theatrical films (“MEN OF HONOR” and “PEARL HARBOR”) portrayed the lives of two African Americans who were historically involved with the United States Navy: Carl Brashear and Dorian Miller, respectively. They both joined the navy for reasons concerning dignity, self-respect and ambition. Brashear retired a decorated officer and holds the record for the first black naval diver. After Dorian Miller was awarded a medal for his courageous actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor, nothing else of significance was heard of him.

     Coming upon crossroads is an inevitable part of life. Sometimes, we may think one path is more advantageous than the other and later find ourselves mistaken. And when we stand before consecutive “forks in the road”, there are no longer any favorable alternatives to choose from.