Matilda Gerring: The Daughter of a Navy Officer, Embracing Change and Finding Strength in Diversity
Sophomore Matilda Gerring poses with her father after finishing a 5k marathon. (Photo Provided/ Eagle Talon)
A girl sat in the back seat of the car, watching the world pass by in a blur of greens and browns. Her little brother chattered away in the front seat, his voice carrying over the sound of the engine and the wind rushing past the windows. He was always talking, always asking questions, always eager to explore the world around him.
Her little sister, meanwhile, was a storm of motion. She kicked the back of their father’s seat with her tiny feet as the car jolted and bounced along the road. The girl tried to ignore the constant movement, tried to focus on the trees outside the window and the changing landscape as they drove from one place to the next.
But no matter how hard she tried to stay focused, the nausea would always rise within her, a relentless tide that threatened to overwhelm her at any moment. It was a feeling she was all too familiar with, a constant companion from years of moving from one place to the next.
Her mother, who was sitting in the front seat, was trying to calm her little brother down and drive at the same time, but the girl could see the worry etched on her face. She knew her mother was thinking about her, about the girl’s constant nausea and the endless hours of driving that lay ahead.
The girl closed her eyes, taking deep breaths and trying to calm herself. She was used to this, used to the constant motion and the endless hours on the road.
Sophomore Matilda Gerring is the daughter of a Navy officer, and has lived in various parts of the world, including Japan and Singapore. This experience of moving around has greatly influenced her life and shaped her worldview.
“There are no such things as long-term friendships,” Gerring said. “When you move around a lot, online communication has been beneficial, but I think moving around has given me a lot of social skills to be able to make friends fast. And I adapt very well to new environments because of it.”
Gerring is well adapted to the challenges of starting at a new school and making new friends. “People walk up to me first,” she said. “I think most schools are kind of the same. No matter where you are, you always have the same social dynamic. And so, I think it’s easy to pinpoint who to go to for help or for friendship. And same thing with classes. They’re all kind of the same.”
Her experience of living in different parts of the world has shaped her worldview, making her more open-minded to new things. “I think it made me more open-minded to new things. Living in other countries, obviously, those are completely different experiences, and so I think it really helped me empathize with people and, like, understand other people’s point of views.”
Gerring stays connected with her friends and family members that live far away through phones and social media. “Phones are very helpful, I can text people a lot, social media, anything online. Letters don’t exist anymore.”
When asked about adjusting to new environments, Gerring said “I think moving around a lot gives you the ability to adapt, like I don’t think there’s any way for one person to adapt but understanding different social constructs and the way that people think is very helpful when you’re trying to figure out how certain places behave culturally.”
Moving has also taught Gerring about herself. “I learned that I really like moving, it taught me that I’m a very social person even though I don’t like meeting new people a lot. Once I meet new people, I really enjoy it. I like meeting new people; I don’t like the process of getting to know new people.”
Her experiences of moving have also influenced her future goals. “It made me want to join the military, because my dad’s in the military, every time we move around, it’s just great being able to see new places, it’s an experience that not many people get. It kind of makes me want to join the Navy or Coast Guard,” Gerring added.
Gerring has had many memorable experiences from living overseas and believes that her experiences of moving around will benefit her in the future. “I think it just developed all my social skills. It helped me better empathize with people and understand where people are coming from their cultural backgrounds, so I think it’s going to be in the Navy or Coast Guard, I think it’ll help me in the Navy or Coast Guard, I think it’ll help me easily adapt to new places and new people.”
Gerring’s life experiences have had a profound impact on her personality and worldview. As a Navy officer’s daughter, she has lived in different parts of the world, which has taught her valuable lessons about resilience, adaptability, and the beauty of diversity. Her experiences have also given her a unique perspective on life and the world around her. Gerring’s story serves as a testament to the power of embracing change and finding strength in diversity. Her insights and reflections provide a valuable reminder of the importance of being open-minded and embracing new experiences, no matter where life takes you.
As the car carried her ever forward, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sadness. She missed the roots that came with staying in one place, the chance to build real connections with the people and places around her. She missed the sense of home that came with knowing where she belonged.
But for now, she was content to sit in the back seat, watching the world pass by in a haze of nauseated dizziness. She was a child of the road, and she would find a way to make peace with that, no matter how much it sometimes made her feel like she was adrift in a sea of endless motion.