Theme Songs

Another Teleportation Song flashback.

Back when I was a JO, boats got to choose who would stand Engineering Officer of the Watch (EOOW) during the ORSE (Operational Reactor Safeguards Examination). The result was, naturally, that boats would try to stack-the-deck with their best watch officers. On my use-ta-fish, we called the ORSE EOOWs the "Rock Stars." During the weeks leading up to the ORSE, the three ORSE EOOWs would be running forward and aft like a rock band with a group of roadies in red drill hats following them wherever they went. They would all go to the engine room together - one to stand the watch for simulated casualty drills and the other two to watch. After the drills were over, they would all come to the wardroom together to debrief the drills. This process would be repeated usually twice per day (a morning set of drills and an afternoon set of drills). Then, the rock stars would huddle in the wardroom together again in the evenings for ORSE EOOW training.

Anyway, the reason I tell you all this was because the ORSE EOOWs had a theme song.

"Man in the Box" by Alice in Chains.

Those of you who are bubbleheads already get it. For those of you who aren't, I'll explain.

The room where the EOOW stands watch giving orders to the watchstanders in the engine room is officially called "Maneuvering," but the unofficial slang term for it is, "The Box." Hence, the EOOW on watch for drills was, "The Man in the Box." Get it?

Fast forward 13 years to my new job in DC. Last week, I finally got to say those magic three words, "I relieve you," followed shortly by, "now get the hell outta my chair so I can get to work." My predecessor was still around for the rest of the week working on his transfer package and checking out of the command, so he was still around and I could ask him questions about things that came up to make sure I was doing it right.

Now he's gone.

It's all me.

As I got off the bus Monday morning and started walking to MY office, I suddenly got that old theme song running through my head...

BOMP
BOMP - BOMP
BOMPBOMP
BOMP - BOMP
BOMPBOMP
BOMP - BOMP
BOMPBOMP
BOMP - BOMP
IIIIIIIIIIIIIII'm the maaaaaaaan, in the BOX!

Reminds me of the advice my predecessor as a department head gave me before he left. "YOU ARE the adult supervision. Don't assume anyone else is going to do anything. YOU'RE driving the bus, man."

So what about you? Do you have a theme song? I know at least one of you who does, and it's become a new teleportation song for me. I'll write about that some other time though.