You know you've been around the military too long when...
you always stop right after leaving a building, giving your husband time to put his beret on.
you don't call his beret, PC, kevlar or boonie cap a hat, EVER.
you know what NCO, ACS, ACER, FRG, MLC, BCT, SBCT, and about 5 million other things mean.
you automatically know why traffic grinds to a halt on post, it's 5 o'clock, time for retreat.
you are so used to random work hours that when your husband gets a 24hr shift, you don't even blink and ask what he wants you to bring him for dinner.
you enjoy the fact that the military still holds formal balls, so you get to buy a pretty dress and relive prom all over again, good or bad.
you finally meet the one person you truly cannot stand in life, and you have to deal with them on a regular basis.
you see the price of cereal at a normal grocery store and wonder why you ever shopped anywhere but the commissary.
you know what a commissary is and what a PX/BX is. As well as AAFES.
you have learned to treasure every moment you have together, deployments come all the time.
you realize you've been married nearly 4 1/2 years, but have actually only lived with your spouse for barely 2.
you give up trying to explain to people that yes, we get a housing allowance, but no, we're not rich.
and most of all, you get so used to people only asking about your deployed husband, you forget to take care of yourself. Then you remember and splurge on a pedicure and a new hair cut.
Most of all, and this should go for everyone, you learn that laughter is the best part of any day.
My best friend is married to a man in the military. The one thing I like to do is remind her to take care of herself too. It's a hard lifestyle and only the strong can handle it. I think you do a beautiful job.
ReplyDeleteI've worked on base or lived near one for 25 years, so I can relate to most of those! My husband was an air force brat, so he could probably think of a few more, too.
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