I went to Josh’s work Christmas party and it started out with a VIP guest sequestering all the wives and telling us, “I worry about you all the time. I’m not sure if I should be advising the VVIPs if we should not let families accompany their Marines to Bahrain. Tell me what your thoughts are about living here” Yep, totally what I wanted to do on my birthday — defend my ability to live here.
It’s not my favorite place (yet, still holding out hope on that one), but it’s not all crazy dangerous. And for the most part, the other Marine wives share my point of view. We tend to be a pretty hardy bunch. If someone doesn’t want to come here, don’t come. If it’s to much for you, go home. But don’t try to ruin it for the rest of us who want to be here. I’d take a year in Iraq with Josh, rather than stay behind with 4 kids by myself. That wouldn’t be safe for any of us.
And for those few who feel like its not safe here, a quick glance in the news will show that we’re not safe anywhere — not in a shopping mall buying Christmas presents, in a movie theater watching a long awaited release, or even in a kindergarten class at school. We live in a messed up world no matter what part of the globe we’re on.
And speaking of safety and stupid, we’re on our way to Oman right now — flying above the clouds. As we were boarding and installed Camile’s car seat and strapped her into her 5 point harness, the flight attendant came by and told us that she would have to sit in our lap for takeoff and landing FOR SAFETY PURPOSES. Cause you know how human arms are WAY stronger and more reliable than a crash tested carseat.
We told him “No” and when he persisted that his supervisor required it, we told him to go get his supervisor. He never mentioned it again. By that time I was so fed up with stupid people and stupid policies and my stupid week that as we took off I smiled and took comfort in the fact that if our plane crashed and we all died, I wouldn’t have to deal with stupidity ever again.