OPINION

The Military
By: Crystal C., Brother Rice School, St. John's, NF

Some people think of them as the people who help to defend our country. But I think of them as the people who decide where my family lives. This is because my father is with the military.

As a military person, my father gets posted to different bases throughout the country. Because of this I have lived in four different provinces. The longest time in one place ~ seven consecutive years. This was in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The shortest time was eighteen months. That was in Esquimalt, British Columbia. So even though I haven't been in one place for very long, I have been able to see Canada and how different it can be from one side of the country to the other.

But while I get to see the country I also don't have time to make many friends. So instead of going out on a Saturday to the mall, I'm usually at home watching television or reading a book. But in my time in Halifax I made a number of very good friends that I keep in touch with via e-mail or the phone.

When you're the new kid in school, it can be hard to try and fit in with the different social groups. Therefore, I spend a lot of time by myself and hope that someone will walk up to me and ask me to join them. But I've found that a lot of people are not so nice. I guess that I can blame that on myself. I don't necessarily try to join in with their groups so I'm on my own for most things. Sometimes that can be a good thing. For example, if you know that you won't be staying there for very long you don't make many friends, so you don't have to say goodbye to anyone. But sometimes being alone can be a bad thing like when you are at school for lunch and you don't have anyone to sit with. Or if you are supposed to work with someone on a school project you will be working by yourself and that is not very fun.

Sometimes it's hard to be away from your family and friends, but then you can think about how good it will be to see them again. So when your parents tell you that you have to move ~ don't be sad. Think of all the friends that will be waiting for you when you return to be with them again.