Military conversations

OK, so I have a million thoughts running through my head lately. It has everything to do with Anthony not being here. I don't have him here to just talk with, and for us, we just talked. All the time. About anything! If we think it, we tell the other person. So I think I am just going to run with one of these thoughts in hopes that it clears my head a little :O)



I was thinking. Like my dad would say "well why did you go and do that" HA HA HA So anyway. I go to a church off base, and have found getting to know people there very interesting. In Germany, it was such a tight nit community that everyone had everything in common. You didn't interact with non military Americans. Before Germany I was raised in Utah and had my family and friends. So Alaska is my first experience with having to reach out and get to know people who I don't have a lot in common with. I find it quite strange.



With military people it seems so easy. But why? You are surrounded by people who are from completely different places than you, maybe even countries, have different upbringings, different hobbies and personalities, just a melting pot of people. Yet if you only had 10 minutes with them, you might know intimate details about them that take the normal "civilian" relationship months to figure out. Here is a list of things that might and usually come up in a first time conversation between 2 military women who have never met. These are just the ones I can come up with.



"where are you from?"

"where does your husband work"

"What rank is your husband"

"how many children do you have"

"what school, and grades are they in"

"we should get our kids together"

"where were your kids born"

"how were those hospitals" (the ones the kids were born at)

"where have you lived"

"did you like those places"

"have you been home recently"

"where would you like to live next"

"where do you want to retire"

"how long have you been in the military"

"are you staying in the military"

"have you yourself ever been in the military"

"do you shop at the commissary or off base"

"do you live on or off base"

"do you like your house, I heard such and such about those units"

"Ireland was OK, but Japan is our next trip" (no one even thinking this is out of the norm)

"Oh you have been married 6 years and your first born is 8 cool, same with us"

"when your husband leaves again, are you going to go anywhere fun, or try to go home"

"is anyone going to visit you while your living here" (which as most of us know the answer to, no matter what family says :O)

"whats your e-mail, we should hang out sometime"



OK, so that was what I just could come up with spurr of the moment. However I have seen some amazing conversations before where women are telling about intimate childhood moments.



So I stand there looking at my Alaskan acquaintances thinking of anything I could ask, and I usually come up blank and ask the typical "how have you been?" OK, so I know where there from, I know where there going to live next year, and I pretty much know where they are going to retire. I know where there family is, and when they will see them next. I know what hobbies they usually have, and most likely where their children were born. Anything I can come up with to ask, usually gets a look that says "boy that's an intimate question, I barely know you, that was quite forward". I don't take this in a rude way, they are probably normal, you just don't have the kind of time in the military to get to know someone like you do on the outside.



I think it is all hilarious to tell you the truth. I actually like it and have come to admire us military people for our quick to know you techniques. If you are a civilian reading this, this is in no way against you. Just a simple observation. One day I hope to be on the outside looking in. That will be in about 10 years and 4 months!!!!!!! Ha Ha Ha



If you can come up with some good ones, post them in the comments section. I am sure we will all appreciate them.