OT: Military Spouses/Kids

[Guest guest]

Hey Kathleen,

 

Good post it was .. well-thought out. Thankee. :-P

 

But one point I'll add .. is that its not only the military kids that

have no choice how they grow up. Few parents can allow the kids a vote

in their financial planning .. work or lack thereof often causes forced

moves .. and sometimes loss of income causes loss of benefits the kids

had become accustomed to. That's rough methinks and something military

kids are rarely forced to experience.

 

Having spent half my life in the military and being exposed to many

military brats .. to include my own four .. I agree that those who have

learned to accept what some others consider as a difficult lifestyle are

much better equipped to accept life in general .. but we also find many

civilian kids in that category .. fewer perhaps than we'll find in the

military but still we find them.

 

Difficulties are relative to expectations. I find some of the State

Department folks .. new hires generally, complain because the military

commissary or post exchange doesn't have this or that this week. Those

who have been around a bit pay no attention to it. I lost my sponsor

status when I resigned from a government contract in April 1994 .. and

since that time, in accordance with the Defense Economic Cooperation

Agreement with Turkey, I have no PX/Commissary privileges .. and though

I miss some things, I've learned to live happily on the economy. But I

experienced that during a few off-the-wall military assignments too ..

like in places where electricity and running water was a novelty. Of

course, there were no dependents there .. just rambling I am. ;-p

 

Y'all keep smiling, Butch http://www.AV-AT.com

 

PS: My post on Herbal Teas .. sent three times .. hasn't shown yet.

 

> However, don't forget those kids who are also dragged from pillar to post,

> they face the same types of challenges of missing parents, the real and

> stark fear of a parent never coming home again, of conforming to a certain

> standard of behaviour so as not reflect badly on the military parent, of

> turning a standard base housing bedroom into something that is theirs, at

> least for a year or two. All done without their permission and on the whole

> without much complaint. And yet. Years later, if you ask them if they would

> have changed it if they could, most would emphatically say no.

>

> Cheers!

> Kathleen Petrides

> The Woobey Queen

> http://www.woobeyworld.com