Tuesday Randoms/Confessions

[Deleted]

Hmm. I don't think that everyone who joins the military is necessarily a hero - I think some people who join are shitty people and the military gives them permission to act out their fantasies of being tough guys with guns.

But I think (hope) those are the exception, not the rule. By and large, I think the sacrifice that service members make does make them some degree of hero in my eyes. I mean even if they go overseas and sit on their butts and never do anything "heroic", they've signed up for a job where they could potentially get killed and at the very least they've sacrificed being with friends and family and comforts of home for a period of time. I mean I don't want to leave everyone behind and go sit in a hot desert, regardless of whether or not I'm paid to do so. But I'm thankful some people do or else we'd be in a lot of trouble.

I love the Zillow commercial, it's sweet. It would be silly to pretend there are not a lot of men and women with families that they miss back home who have chosen a profession that serves to protect and honor our country.

I feel similarly about police and firefighters. I certainly wouldn't want their jobs and the risks that come with them... it would be easy for me to criticize from my cushy desk job where the biggest safety risk for me is tripping on my own feet and falling down in the hallway.

[audette]

Aug 6, 2013 17:22:47 GMT -5 Stan said:

I'm joining the military on Tuesday. It's been my dream since I was a kid, and I for sure have other options. MH has been in since before 9/11.

Go Stan! Awesome news!

[audette]

Aug 6, 2013 14:25:14 GMT -5 @coffeecream said:

Here is my very very flameful confession! Before I type it, I am going to state, that I am scheduled to leave as soon as H wakes up, so I will be absent and depending on how poorly it is received, I will delete. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but this has been driving me nuts.

I am so tried of hearing about how people in the military are heroes. There I said it. And my brother and BIL are in the military, both as enlisted men in separate forces. I think what they do is amazing, and that it is dangerous and difficult. But not every member of the military is a hero.

We do not have a draft, we do not have required civil service. People join the military by choice. It is a job that a person has chosen. The risks, especially if joined posted 9/11, are well known. Those in the military receive pay for their service as well as additional monies towards their living costs depending on their situation and hazard pay.

If someone is injured in serving their country or passes, I think we should support them, but it feels so overboard lately. Every commercial, Zillow, for example, its overkill.

Okay, flame away.

I don't think this is flameful.

Servicemembers are people. As such, they come from all walks of life, and types and sorts of individuals, and every single one I have met would be uncomfortable with being called "hero". They're doing their job, they're doing (mostly) what they want to be doing (who doesn't gripe about their job, really), and they're being paid to do it.

They are fallible. They can screw up (quite royally, in some cases...). Some are amazing people, but they'd be amazing people if there were in another line of work, too. Some are assholes, but again, that really isn't dependent on their being a servicemember.


There are unique challenges to service in the military. But, there are unique challenges to every line of work. I like to think that the rewards DH gets for serving (monetary, emotional, whatever) outweigh the challenges. There are days I question that evaluation, but so far, we seem to have settled on the side that has DH staying in for a while longer.


I haven't seen US television since February, so I can't speak to the ads you mention, but I can see it getting tiresome if I was seeing ad after ad that talked about servicemembers' heroism. (honestly, back when we had US cable TV, I remember it feeling like it was overdone, especially around Veteran's Day and Memorial Day... there always seemed to be an increase in those types of commercials at those times, and it felt very contrived)

[KaraOrNot]

Congrats, Stan!

[winnied]

Aug 6, 2013 15:58:50 GMT -5 @champagna said:

I'm feeling very nervous about DD1's 3rd grade year (school starts tomorrow) and a couple girls who were really unkind to her in 2nd grade. I hope she gets a patient teacher and makes some good friends this year. She still doesn't have any very close buddies and I feel like I'm partially to blame for that. 

How is that your fault? Is she in the same class as those girls this year? Could you maybe set up a play date a few weeks into school with any kids she seems to like? Kids are assholes, I'm sorry you and your daughter have to deal with this.

[winnied]

@champagna, does she have any friends in extra curriculars like dance class or soccer? What about kids of your friends? Most of my closest friends were actually kids I didn't even go to school with, FWIW. I know it's tough but don't blame yourself at all. Blame the parents of the future Mean Girls.