Me : Well , let ’ s go back to your original dream ; why couldn ’ t you become a captain ? Dad : Back then , you had to graduate from ITU Higher Maritime School to become a captain . It was the only school of its kind with a high score . At that time , the school was linked to the Naval Forces Command by the military . Since my score was not high enough the year I graduated from high school , I went to courses for a year and got ready for the university exam . However , as the school started to accept students according to the military school rules , it was decided that students who took a break for a year could not choose this department . Therefore , although my score in the second year was sufficient , I was not able to study in that department .
Me : How did that make you feel ? Dad : I remember being sad . Life can take people in different directions beyond their dreams , but your childhood dreams follow you constantly and in ways you never imagined .
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Me : How did your dreams follow you ? Can you explain ? Dad : Your unfulfilled dream can stay with you and enrich you if you do not give up . Foremost , I would like to say that architecture is an excellent profession that develops people in every field . You can literally build your dreams and for that I am very happy to be one . On the other hand , my interest in sailing ships and the sea never ended , even on a theoretical basis . Books about maritime culture that interest me still occupy a large place in my library . The architectural technical education I received enabled me to easily follow the drawings of the old sailboats . I started making models of sailing ships . In the meantime , my cartoons on these same subjects have been published for years in the boat and maritime magazine , Yelken Dünyası .
Me : Can we say that your dream of being a captain has always been a part of your life , even though it has taken different directions ? Dad : I think it has always contributed to my sense of self . As Sunay Akın said in one of his poems :
“ My friends always see me talking with a seagull by the sea , because I am a permanent captain retired from paper ships .”
Sunay Akın - Kağıt Gemi