There are those times when you are talking with a friend and you get home, and an idea for a blog just instantly pops into your head. This is one such occasion, and I thank my friend for being able to joke with me about Army life.
As my friends and family know, I am incredibly proud to be an Army spouse. But, as many of you Army/military spouses know, there are those times when those slight nuances can just get to you. All you can do is laugh, because otherwise, you may go crazy! I wanted to share a little insight into those things that can just make you go crazy if you don't just have a good laugh about them.
As you read these, please do so with laughter in mind. I don't lose any sleep at night over these and hopefully you don't either.
1. The dang velcro issue!
Have you ever just thrown everything in the washer together because you are exhausted at the end of the day only to find that your delicates are securely velcroed to your spouse's uniform? I cannot tell you how many times I forget and throw that new pair of VS undergarments in the laundry with my husband's ACU jacket and when I go to move everything out of the washer, I'm carefully peeling my underthings off of his velcro. And this happens even when the jacket is carefully prepared for laundry time, turned inside out and velcro covered. It's like an automatic magnet that you can count on every time.
2. The use of piles
Now I don't know if this applies across the board, but I've been told that the pile thing has its roots at West Point, or at least it does for my husband. When I see a pile, on the floor, I immediately assume that it's dirty, or at least I used to. Apparently, there is an intricate pile system that has been derived where one pile is clean, one is dirty, and one is I guess only slightly dirty so can be worn again(?). I have come up with my own clever way to combat this.....I don't mess with piles on the floor. I treat my senses nicely and don't even try to do the smell test. I simply leave it be until it ends up in the laundry basket. My nose thanks me daily.
3. Sock rolling
My husband and I have an understanding when it comes to his socks, and that understanding is that I simply place them in a pile for him. When we got married, I let him know that if he complained about how I was doing something (especially uniform related), then I would not be taking on that responsibility. My way of folding was not good enough for his liking, so now, my husband is completely in charge of rolling his socks into those tight balls that rival a baseball. Nobody is coming to our house to inspect his sock drawer. And this applies to not only those million pair of green socks, but also his tall white socks and every pair of dress socks he owns. On a positive note, it's one less thing I have to worry about.
4. Late night/early morning phone call or text vs. screaming child
This one is probably the biggest pain in the tucus, right up there with the velcro. Has your spouse's phone ever rang in the middle of the night, and he immediately sits up and answers? Now, does your spouse wake up with the same eagerness when your child cries out in the middle of the night, or do they wake up at all? Maybe it's something in the way our brains are programmed, I'm not sure. What I do know is that those phone calls and texts wake me up just the same as a screaming child does. And then there's the added layer with staff duty. I asked my husband if staff duty has to shake him to wake him up like I do to which he tells me that they just knock on the door and he's awake. Where is that sleeper at home?
5. The ma'am factor
I grew up being taught manners and it is how I intend to raise my children; they will refer to their elders as sir, ma'am, Mr, Mrs, MAJ, COL, etc just as I was raised to do. So I completely understand and appreciate where it stems from, however, and this is a big however, I don't know that I will ever get used to it and I think it may always make me cringe a little. This is especially true when the person is older than I am, or slightly younger than I am. For example, when a new 2LT calls me ma'am or Mrs. O'Donnell, I have to stifle the urge to smack them upside the head and ask them how old do they think I am! But instead, I simply let them know to please call me Lindsay.
I hope you enjoyed my little list, and I hope you read it with the spirit in which it was intended. Do you have any little nuances that make you laugh and cringe at the same time?
As my friends and family know, I am incredibly proud to be an Army spouse. But, as many of you Army/military spouses know, there are those times when those slight nuances can just get to you. All you can do is laugh, because otherwise, you may go crazy! I wanted to share a little insight into those things that can just make you go crazy if you don't just have a good laugh about them.
As you read these, please do so with laughter in mind. I don't lose any sleep at night over these and hopefully you don't either.
1. The dang velcro issue!
Have you ever just thrown everything in the washer together because you are exhausted at the end of the day only to find that your delicates are securely velcroed to your spouse's uniform? I cannot tell you how many times I forget and throw that new pair of VS undergarments in the laundry with my husband's ACU jacket and when I go to move everything out of the washer, I'm carefully peeling my underthings off of his velcro. And this happens even when the jacket is carefully prepared for laundry time, turned inside out and velcro covered. It's like an automatic magnet that you can count on every time.
 |
| This is an ACU Jacket for those who don't know. There is Velcro at both wrists, around the collar, down the center, on both sleeves, and on both breast pockets! Undergarment magnets! |
2. The use of piles
Now I don't know if this applies across the board, but I've been told that the pile thing has its roots at West Point, or at least it does for my husband. When I see a pile, on the floor, I immediately assume that it's dirty, or at least I used to. Apparently, there is an intricate pile system that has been derived where one pile is clean, one is dirty, and one is I guess only slightly dirty so can be worn again(?). I have come up with my own clever way to combat this.....I don't mess with piles on the floor. I treat my senses nicely and don't even try to do the smell test. I simply leave it be until it ends up in the laundry basket. My nose thanks me daily.
3. Sock rolling
My husband and I have an understanding when it comes to his socks, and that understanding is that I simply place them in a pile for him. When we got married, I let him know that if he complained about how I was doing something (especially uniform related), then I would not be taking on that responsibility. My way of folding was not good enough for his liking, so now, my husband is completely in charge of rolling his socks into those tight balls that rival a baseball. Nobody is coming to our house to inspect his sock drawer. And this applies to not only those million pair of green socks, but also his tall white socks and every pair of dress socks he owns. On a positive note, it's one less thing I have to worry about.
 |
| Maybe they should include a tutorial in the Army Spouse Handbook ;) |
4. Late night/early morning phone call or text vs. screaming child
This one is probably the biggest pain in the tucus, right up there with the velcro. Has your spouse's phone ever rang in the middle of the night, and he immediately sits up and answers? Now, does your spouse wake up with the same eagerness when your child cries out in the middle of the night, or do they wake up at all? Maybe it's something in the way our brains are programmed, I'm not sure. What I do know is that those phone calls and texts wake me up just the same as a screaming child does. And then there's the added layer with staff duty. I asked my husband if staff duty has to shake him to wake him up like I do to which he tells me that they just knock on the door and he's awake. Where is that sleeper at home?
5. The ma'am factor
I grew up being taught manners and it is how I intend to raise my children; they will refer to their elders as sir, ma'am, Mr, Mrs, MAJ, COL, etc just as I was raised to do. So I completely understand and appreciate where it stems from, however, and this is a big however, I don't know that I will ever get used to it and I think it may always make me cringe a little. This is especially true when the person is older than I am, or slightly younger than I am. For example, when a new 2LT calls me ma'am or Mrs. O'Donnell, I have to stifle the urge to smack them upside the head and ask them how old do they think I am! But instead, I simply let them know to please call me Lindsay.
I hope you enjoyed my little list, and I hope you read it with the spirit in which it was intended. Do you have any little nuances that make you laugh and cringe at the same time?
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