Goals

As researchers we often need to make our goals very explicit. Sometimes those goals feel very abstract, sometimes they feel over-reaching, and other times they seem to really makes sense. I'm having one of those "making sense" moments today. As I talk to more and more military spouses, I feel A) very fortunate they are willing to share their stories with me and B) excited about my goals, my research, and my future with this area of study. I just get so inspired when people tell me that they think what I am doing could be really beneficial for them. I started as an outsider, as someone with abstract goals that seemed a million years away. Slowly, I am becoming very confident that my goals are attainable and well-supported by the people I hope to benefit.

Today, as well as a couple of weeks ago, I talked with women who were really excited about the prospects of more community involvement for military family support. We talked in detail about how family-focused community activities and centers could be a real benefit to military families bot on and off post. There is such a need for togetherness and support, and I hope I can continue this research to improve our understanding of how we can make things happen! Someday I may even be a part of building something real, something beneficial, and something that will bring life to all the work I am doing now.

I've got ideas. I've always had ideas about how this research could be interesting. Through talking with these amazing women, I am learning so much about how my ideas (and the ideas we create together) can become real, tangible, helpful resources for people!!! And that's the real goal of research.