Am I a Monkey?

So I was having a conversation with a fellow employee of the US Navy today, and he was telling me that my job was easy, that a monkey could do what I do. Initially I argued with him since I took great offense at his remark. I told him how what I do is important and at times can be quite a bit difficult, especially to those who don't know how to do it.

So what is it that I do? Well I am a Mass communications Specialist in the United States Navy. I am stationed with a squadron named VX-9 out of Ridgecrest CA. What I do for the squadron is provide support to the Squadron via Printing, Graphic Design, and Photographic services. Does that sound easy? Well let me tell you a secret... It is.

What I do here at the squadron is very menial and often unexciting:

• Somebody needs a 100 copies of a 50 page document. Put document in machine, type 100, and press go. Boom! Done.
• Somebody needs a photo of a plane because they are designing a model and need a picture of the Jet's Paint scheme. Go downstairs in to the hangar, point camera, focus, shoot, download and burn. Boom! Done.
• Somebody needs a poster to say "What've you done for the Fleet Today?" Open a cool photo, slap on some text and Boom! Done. Actually... that's not easy. And point of Fact graphics work is a little challenging if you don't know what you're doing.

Ok so with the exception of graphics the majority of the work I do here is not all that exciting or difficult to learn. But all that aside, as an MC in the military, I am required to know a great deal of information. I have attended 4 different multimedia schools as part of my training in the military. I am an accomplished video shooter/editor, and over the 6 years in the military I have created some things I am very proud of. But is that easy? Not really.

Going out and finding a story to shoot is difficult. Shooting the story, while I may be used to it, can be a challenge. And then there is the editing, the writing of the script, and add a few finishing touches and Boom! But VX-9 doesn't really care about Video pieces, so it's a moot point here.

So where does this issue rest? I honestly feel that I am not being challenged at work. We aren't required to do very much here. And since it is a shore duty, and after serving on a very hardworking aircraft carrier for 4.5 years, I am not really looking for the challenge. I am just coasting along.

When it's spelled out like that, it kind of makes me nervous. How can I afford to take a break now, when I need to be planning and preparing for a very big step within the next 2 years? How did I get like this? Maybe I am the monkey after all.

Guess I'll have to fix that, or just go get another banana.

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