Today, I was listening to Ben Stein on Spousebuzz Talk Radio. If you didn’t happen to listen to the show live, (I missed it too) listen to the archive if you can. A topic arose that I have been thinking about lately. The Spousebuzz panel was discussing how some people are uncomfortable with talk of the military. For example, you’re having a conversation with a stranger on an airplane…they find out you’re a milspouse, and the conversation ends. Is that person unsure of what to say next?...so says nothing? From someone that is uncomfortable in almost any social surrounding, I understand the feeling of not knowing what to say, so I usually assume that is the case.
I was at a child’s birthday party last week, and the mother of the birthday boy had brought some gently used shoes for me to send to Hubby. Last time I saw her, I mentioned that Hubby had left some of the E1 and E2’s shoes outside of the gate for some young girls that he saw every time he left the base. Another parent was there and the hostess said that my husband was “overseas” (not Iraq, not in the military) and was in a poor area and they leave shoes for the kids. I wasn’t going to spout out that he was in the Army and this poor village was in Iraq… the hostess was obviously uncomfortable about the subject. It wasn’t the first time someone described where Hubby is as “overseas”.
I’m sure in military towns, “overseas” may mean military deployment, but here, most think of filming locations. Many people I know leave for weeks or months at a time to shoot a movie on location. Most of the parents at the party were from the entertainment industry…not actors, well one actor who shall remain nameless, mainly because I don’t know his name.
Does anyone else run into this?
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Does anyone else run into this?
Can't really comment on this phenomenon, TripleE, as I don't run in circles that aren't military-wise (knowledgeable). I know that the common term amongst AF families is "deployed." Which is usually followed up with "where this time?", coz it varies...
I do run into this sometimes. But more often, when during my husband's last deployment, I got the opposite when I hung out with non-military folks. People would shout to the rafters that my husband was in Iraq when I really, frankly, just wanted to *not* talk about it for once.
Feast or famine.
Just shows how absolutely out-of-touch I am from the military...I have virtually no contact with anyone from Hubby's unit...I've given up on the FRG, since they don't seem to know how to return a phone call or email.
I'm just trying to represent well to all of the civilians I know.
What you relate about the party sounds just like what Ben Stein was saying about people in "the industry."
I don't recall having this problem though. Most people I know don't talk about it at all.
People usually only use this phrase to DH, not me. They'll ask him--"So...would you ever get sent overseas? To...Iraq or somewhere?" Since I can't give out locations, I'm the one that says things like, "he flew overseas to meet up with the sub and now they're all out somewhere." But the next time he goes, I might just say that he's on location. At least I'd laugh at that.
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