Military Friends versus Civilians

From an earlier entry:

Military Friends versus Civilians
Military Friends versus Civilians August 24, 2008 Erin Rages
Last year, my sister innocently asked, "So what do you get out of this blogging thing, anyway?"
I explained to her that blogging and connecting with other bloggers makes me feel like I'm understood; most of the people that read my site are other military wives, which means I don't have to explain a lot of the details that I think seem obvious. Other military wives understand the daily grind of having a husband in the military. They don't say, "What a shame," when they find out my husband is deployed. They laugh at and relate to all the light bulbs in the house burning out at the same time, the car breaking down, and the air conditioner acting crazy the DAY AFTER my husband leaves. They've been there, done that, and and they're ready to laugh about it (or cry about it) with me in the comments section.
A lot (not all) of my family is made up of civilians. I love civilians. But sometimes, I don't feel understood by them.
Illustration: While in Seattle a few weeks ago, I was at lunch with my family when my aunt asked me if I had seen a particular movie. I asked if it had come out on DVD yet, and she said, "No, it's still in the theater."
Ok. First, my husband is deployed. I haven't found a babysitter I trust. All of the friends I would trust with my son are people I would want to go to this said movie with (and most of them have deployed husbands and children too. It's not like they need or want another responsibility on a Friday night). Plus, I'm not that big on spending $10 on a movie ticket and another trillion dollars on snacks. Not my cup of tea, but still. I'M ALONE. Going to the theater is a huge pain in the neck!
And guess what? I felt the need to explain all of that to her. Poor Aunt.
So as I was emailing Andi not too long ago, I told her I won't be able to make it to the SpouseBUZZ Live event in Virginia because Scout will be home or in transit for R & R. My mind started to wander. How should I explain how important it is to me to be home when Scout gets off the plane? And then I smiled. I didn't have to explain it.
And maybe that's a bad example. I'm sure my family wouldn't need an explanation for something like that. But I would still feel the need to give one.So that, my friends, is why I blog. Thank you for helping me to feel understood, and allowing me to understand you. :) About SpouseBUZZ SpouseBUZZ is your virtual Family Support Group, where we can celebrate and embrace the tie that binds us all -- military service. This blog exists because of you. We have authors and contributors to keep the conversation going here, but we need you to become an active participant. Submit your comments, questions and suggestions for topics you would like to see our authors address. SpouseBUZZ will make you think, make you laugh and make you cry. Most of all, we hope you feel instantly connected to the thousands of other spouses with whom you share a common experience.