Been a while
February 8th, 2010 by rsm
And yet I am still around. Unfortunately, I cannot write about much of what I do at this time. That’s the breaks.
But I have been home on leave. Two weeks that flew by and were a good warning as to what I would face when I get back.
I’ve lost my patience.
It’s somewhere out on a battlefield in the mountains. I certainly didn’t have it when I was back in the states. Americans do a great deal of whining. No wonder when folks from other countries make fun of us, it usually involves some sort of nasal voice. We just can’t seem to stop. We have more than anyone else in the way of freedom and the ability to change our own lives through hard work. All we have to do is take responsibility for ourselves.
But it never seems to be enough.
And my ability to tolerate hearing people complain is gone. Finished. I had a few friends I was around when I was home and they noticed some of the changes. In time I am sure I will be able to revert back to living a normal life, but while home, I would get tense when in a large group of people for more than a few minutes, especially as I started to hear the whining: “Gah, they didn’t put enough salt on the fries!!!” “Ugh, I like the way this copy of Pride and Prejudice looks better than that one but it’s $3 more!!! I can’t believe we have to read it!” “Uh, miss, I said a Diet Coke, not a Caffeine Free Diet Coke. I can’t believe you would bring me a caffeine free Diet Coke when that is clearly not acceptable!”
However, I’m back in the thick of things. Snow lays heavy everywhere. It hasn’t stopped falling for days. We are getting to the point we could build our own snow forts and igloos. At least it keeps the dust covered up, but when all this stuff starts to melt… the mud is going to be unbelievable. And we’ll deal with it.
Without complaining.
Been thinking about you. I’m glad you were able to make it home for a bit. Sorry about the whining – I’ve not been to battle but even so it drives me nuts. I hope things are well with you. Did you happen to get a package I sent a while back? I know the mail is slow.
*sigh* Sometimes leave just doesn’t work out right. I’m sorry this one got under your skin. Doesn’t seem quite fair when you only get a short time home.
Hang in there, I’m hoping the next leave will be much improved.
Thankful you have posted. I was beginning to worry — and yes, I said that with a definite whine. God bless!
Glad to see you! And yes, we are a nation of bratty teenagers sometimes; sorry you got the brunt of it. Take care. (BTW, I don’t know why anyone would whine about the price of a book. Especially, Pride and Prejudice. But then I have 3 copies.
)
I’m glad you checked in.
I probably whine a fair amount myself but find I have little patience for it from other people.
Och, that lack of patience is to be expected. You’ve lived quite spartanly. But it is a fine lesson to carry forward in your life.
Now stay safe and warm as you can. I hope you managed to cook something pleasing while home…
We are, indeed, a whiny lot. I’ll do my mea culpa by sending along another package soon.
Take care of yourself.
… I look forward to pictures of that beautiful mud soon!….
We ‘mericans are some whiny individuals, that’s for sure. Stay staff, brother.
Good to “see” you.
This will be a long comment, so bear with me.
This is not new, the lack of perspective from Americans. One of my best friends is 83 and married right after WWII ended. Her husband had been a tank commander for Patton, married her, and brought her to Germany. She came from a rather wealthy family in SC, and said that before she arrived in Germany, she was always whining about not being able to get stockings and there was no sugar for her tea. She said she got to Germany where the roads were blown out, mass grieving in the towns from the losses, the lack of basic essentials, her husband had just liberated one of the first concentration camps… and she thought to herself how petty and selfish she had been.
I lived in a 3rd world developing country when I was growing up. Open ditches for sewer, people going to the bathroom in the streets, I probably ate more dog and cat than I wish to know, electricity was hit or miss, we dared not drink the water… or the milk for that matter, and living in a Country unlike ours will change you.
I can be a minimalist as minimalist here in America is still heads and shoulders above what most have in this world and *I* realized it. My true needs are basic, my family to love, food, drink, shelter, and scant clothes. My wants are few, books, music… and a place to wash my clothes and keep clean.
But you compare that to that of my spouse’s, a very good hardworking man, who has never left the US, and we are on different planets. We could not be more polarized on our expectations of life and what makes us happy.
Until one bears witness to how others in countries with far less, with TRUE poverty live, and not American poverty, but REAL NO KIDDING poverty, they cannot understand.
My mother says often, that she wishes there was some invention where you could transfer your pain to your doctor so he could completely understand. I’ll take it a step further and say I wish there was a way we could transfer our life experiences to another, so people would gain a better perspective.
You have been forever altered. Your views on life will NEVER be what they were. You may one day get irritated by something trivial as you adapt back into our society, but it will never be what it was. Ever.
I think of you every day and pray you are well. This comment has been brewing for awhile… it just took a sleepless night (too much coffee too late in the day) for me to sit down and put it out here.
My best to you, RSM.