Thursday, February 3, 2011

The Different Reactions

I find that I get different reactions when I tell people that Tom is in Korea for a year. I’ve probably even written about them before. I decided to make a list of the different reactions that I’ve received, as I’ve found some humorous.

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ANGER


Me: My husband is in Korea for a year.

Them: Why would you allow that?

Me: I know it’s important for my husband to serve his country and he didn’t feel he was doing that here.

Them: But for him to just take off and leave his family!

Me: It’s okay. We get to talk to him on Skype.

Them: Still.

Me: Really, it’s okay, I’m an Only Child so I don’t mind it. I actually like having the bed to myself.

Them: *Blinks* Don’t you know that hookers run rampant over there? What if your husband sleeps with a hooker?

Me: Then I’ll take him for half of everything he has. Which isn’t much.

Them: How can you joke at a time like this? Your husband left and might be hanging around HOOKERS.

Me: I wonder if he can get me a picture. I’ve always wanted to see a Korean hooker.

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SORROW


Me: My husband is in Korea for a year.

Them: Oh my God, you poor thing. How are you holding up?

Me: I’m okay, thank you.

Them: Don’t you just want to cry every night?

Me: Um. No.

Them: I’d want to cry every night. In fact, I’m tearing up right now, excuse me. You poor, poor thing.

Me: I’m okay.

Them: If you ever need someone to talk to, I know a good therapist.

Me: I don’t think that’ll be necessary, I have a blog, I don’t need a therapist.

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HAPPY


Me: My husband is in Korea for a year.

Them: Woohoo, freedom from the man!

Me: ?????

Them: Isn’t it awesome to do whatever you want?

Me: Er? Within reason.

Them: You can buy whatever you want and they’ll never know!

Me: Well, my husband would know, he just looks at the bank statement. I actually got lectured over the amount I spent at Target.

Them: You can have boyfriends over!

Me: (A little afraid) Well, seeing as I made a vow when I got married to forsake all others, there are no boyfriends. Unless you count John Krasinksi, but he doesn’t know I exist so...

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OVERLY DRAMATIC


Me: My husband is in Korea for a year.

Them: A year? An entire year? A whole year? What are you going to do without him for a year? How will you cope?

Me: I’ll be fine. I have two kids to keep me busy.

Them: An entire year? Will your kids even recognize their father when he comes back?

Me: Thanks to the invention of Skype, yes.

Them: What are you going to do? What happens if something breaks? What if you die in your sleep? Then what?

Me: I guess I’d hope that my son would call the police and not pig out on junk food and dance naked around my carcass while eating my Ho Hos that I won’t let him have.

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KNOW IT ALL


Me: My husband is in Korea for a year.

Them: Oh, no biggie, at least it’s not Afghanistan.

Me: True. Though Korea isn’t exactly the safest place in the world.

Them: But it’s not Afghanistan and plus, my husband was once deployed for 18 months. A year is nothing.

Me: Um.

Them: At least it’s not Afghanistan. Korea is nothing. Korea is like a vacation.

Me: Kiss my pale ass. (No, I’m kidding, I didn’t say that but I do think this.)

54 comments:

  1. If he meets a Korean hooker I want a picture too. Please. I think all of those reactions were spot on. Personally, it sucks when I find out and then I just go one with life because really? What other option do you have?

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  2. You just got your first share over facebook from me. I know you are so happy now. When I find out things like that I just kind of go blank because I don't know what that person is feeling so perhapsyou could writer about those who have nothing to say on the issue (Oh wait that would be boring, lol) Hope you and the kids are having a good day. xoxo

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  3. Hmm... how to hook you up with John Krasinksi....

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  4. Living on a military base, I'm sure you've heard your share of the last one!

    I do think it's a tremendous sacrifice young families make, and it's really appreciated!

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  5. Well Bless your heart! People really should think before opening their mouths. A hooker? Really? That's what they came up with when finding out YOUR husband is defending THEIR freedom?
    morons.

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  6. Eek! I'm afraid I wouldn't be as gracious as you!

    Glad you have your "therapy" here :)

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  7. Eek! I'm afraid I wouldn't be as gracious as you!

    Glad you have your "therapy" here :)

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  8. I just laughed over my coffee almost spit it out over the last statement. My husband is Army & currently does travel to Japan for months at a time. I hear the last one a lot. I really want to remind them that he has already deployed to Iraq 3 times, not to worry that the Army decided Japan wasn't bad either & will be sending him to Afghanistan very very soon! Good Luck & Hang in there!!

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  9. It's sort of like when you're pregnant and everyone has an opinion about everything. but, like you said, you have your blog for therapy. Thank goodness.

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  10. This post is hilarious!!!
    It takes a special kind of woman to handle the distance. It's sacrifice, but you do what you have to do. It's part of the job and being a military spouse!!! Kudos.

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  11. Hilarious. The things "they" say!

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  12. Ha! Thanks for sharing, people are crazy sometimes. One of my best friends is currently trying to readjust to her husband not being deployed and she used to tell me a lot of the same things when he was over seas. Kudos to you, you must be nicer than me, lol!

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  13. Korean Hookers? Who even thinks like that?
    besides me...
    and you...
    and whoever that person was...
    But really, normal people dont think like that do they?

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  14. I used to be to the point where I didn't even tell people that my husband was deployed or gone just because I didn't want to deal with the reaction. People are dumb.

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  15. i am laughing over the anger and the happy one... especially the happy one...
    boyfriends huh???

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  16. so glad..'we' are your therapy!! and love your reaction to it all, such a good read! You do what you have to to... and then when your kids are all grown you will have such stories to tell!! People are dumb!)(and inconsiderate)

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  17. If I died in the night and my husband wasn't here, you have hit spot on what my children would do... dance naked around my carcass and eat junk food. Well said! Lol!

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  18. Wow. People can be so stupid. I'm speechless that you had similar encounters in real life.

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  19. I'm with you the know it all is the worse and she can kiss my pale ass too! Thank you and your brave hubby for the sacrifice for our country!

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  20. Wow. People are weird.

    So is being in Korea for a year.

    ;o)

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  21. Sometimes I sort of wish it was considered okay to punch people in the mouth for their stupidity. People just love to play the "I have it worse card" the most I think. "Well, at least he's not in the Marines so he won't be on the front lines" or "at least it's not..." blah blah blah. Good thing you have your sense of humor :)

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  22. I've been there, heard all that. I just came to the conclusion that bitch-slapping people is the best response. :)

    In actuality, most of the hookers are actually Filipino women (and I use that term lightly) who were imported to Korea for that purpose.

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  23. I can imagine every one of these! Love the hooker idea.

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  24. I've LIVED every one of these! Hilarious--thanks for this. It really made me giggle!

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  25. Just to clear things up I do not feel sorry for you, happy, dramatic, and I have no husband over seas. It sounds as if you are doing just fine. I appreciate women who can handle themselves.

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  26. applause. applause.

    I want a picture of the korean hooker, too.

    You can send my therapy check via paypal.

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  27. Now that you brought it up...I would like to see what a Korean hooker looks like LOL

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  28. People are fools. Total fools.

    At least you're good at mocking their stupidity!

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  29. Love this. Mine is on his way to Afghanistan soon.

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  30. I get those sort of comments about my husband being deployed! lol. Or the horrible, overly sympathetic looks of pain. No, really, I'm fine.

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  31. Funny post and correct. I live in a military rich environment, so if you say, "my husband's gone for a year" everyone around here says..."Mine, too."

    Hang in there.

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  32. You must promise us that if a photo of a Korean hooker is ever given that you'll share it.

    'Cause the world wants to see.

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  33. Sheesh he is in the military after all..

    My dad was in Korea years and years ago..he came back with a tattoo. :)

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  34. The title "bird shit and baby caca" still cracks me up everytime i see it in your comments.

    Anyway.....

    People are retarded. And on the other hand, why do we all feel like we just HAVE to say something. It's just human nature.

    I'm somewhere in the middle of all of those. I can't imagine single parenting for a year, but on the other hand, I'm used to doing things alone most of the time, and sometimes I just find it easier to not have the hubs around. But then, that WHOLE year part comes back in. I'm glad you've got skype (which I've never done nore figured out) and a GREAT attitude and ability to laugh at and mock the world. It really helps in crappy year long deployments.

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  35. I would probably tell them to kiss it.

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  36. Very very funny - I could hear the dialogue in my head..

    Love to you
    Kelly
    I've Become My Mother

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  37. At least all a therapist would say is "and how does that make you feel?".

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  38. Yes it is a good thing that you have a blog, otherwise we would not get to see the stupidity that is these people!
    A friend of mines husband was deployed while she was pregnant with her son (maybe a year & 1/2 ago) She was VERY pregnant & was chatting with her neighbor, her neighbor said these exact words to her... "Oh I sure hope that he makes it home safe so he can meet his son." What the hell is wrong with some people?!?!! Like she wasn't already worried about that.

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  39. you had me at Korean hooker...my boyfriend's half Korean, I'll send you pictures. It'll give you some idea as to what they'll look like. Lol

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  40. My brother is in the Air Force so I know allll about what you're going through. And he was in IRAQ which is soooo much worser than Korea. We just cried and cried and cried when he was gone, I don't know how you're able to cope. Hopefully you get a loving boyfriend.

    Actually when my brother returned home my SIL said she was going to literally shoot him if he started another fix-it project because she had just finished cleaning up after the one he started before he left.

    Enjoy the quiet while you can and hope he hurries home.

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  41. Oooh, Korean hookers. Pictures, please. And also, some of the boyfriends you've been having over, please. ;P

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  42. "I have a blog. I don't need a therapist." LOL Love this line!

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  43. Please tell your husband, "thanks for serving." I appreciate any man or woman who serves in the military or is a police officer or serves in any capacity to keep us/me out of harm's way. God bless those folks AND their families!

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  44. I understand where you are coming from. If I heard "Oh, your boyfriend is in the Navy, he'll be perfectly safe while deployed to Iraq" one more time while he was deployed, I was going to scream. My (then boyfriend, now) husband was a Navy Seabee (Construction Battalion), which means he was actually IN Iraq. Supposedly "rebuilding Iraq" but actually fighting. So I sympathize with the comments and commend you for your patience. I got quite bitchy with these comments towards the end of my husband's 2nd deployment. I started responding to the assumptions of safety because DH was Navy with "Have you ever heard of the USS Cole?" Most times that shut them up.

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  45. You didn't put down if there is a proper answer! I need to know just in case I come upon this situation irl! I think I'd just ask, though. . . how do you feel about that? And kind of go from there. If it was ME, I'd prolly not bother telling anyone. All of those replies make me want to hit someone!

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  46. The comments from civilians is ALWAYS a source of blog fodder. They just don't get it. At all.

    At least you were able to use all the comments in a healthy way!!!

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  47. Hahaha, this was very funny - glad you can handle all the weirdo comments from strangers with a sense of humor.

    Also: I have a blog, I don’t need a therapist = best line ever.

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  48. Very funny to read. Loved all these. Don't people have some weird ideas?

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  49. It feels sort of like cheating to stop by for Sharefest at a blog I already follow, but Happy Saturday Sharefest! :)At least I hadn't already commented:)

    All in the name of showing sympathy..."Some" people (because of course I've never stuck my foot in my mouth in this manner)

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  50. Yeah, people are annoying in real life. I like to keep my friends online where I can delete them at will.

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  51. Ugh the know it alls. I always hate telling people how long Stephen was/will be gone for because I inevitably hear "Be glad it isn't a year or 18 months like my husband." Yes, I am glad...but I still have every right to miss him just as much as the know it alls miss their husbands!

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