a classist moment, no, really.

[kaigou]

I was 19. I had just started dating a cute chick, and I was asked to participate in a panel during GLBSA week. I discovered flyers with all the information would be included in the monthly newsletter sent to subscribing parents (of which I knew my parents were). I wasn't sure if they were listing names of panel participants, but just in case, I decided I had to bite the bullet and give my parents fair warning.

I called home, and...

Me: Mom, there's something I have to tell you.
Mom: Uh, okay.
Me: I'm dating someone.
Mom: *worried/suspicious* Okaayyyy...
Me: *deep breath* It's a woman in my class...

*long pause*

Me: Mom?
Mom: *huge sigh of relief* Is that all?
Me: Hunh?
Mom: For a moment there, I thought you were going to say you're dating an enlisted Marine!
Me: ...
Mom: So is she a nice girl? What's her major? Where's her family from?

*headdesk*

Or, per a conversation in high school with a fellow military (officer's) brat and two civilian kids. One civvie said something about her father hitting the roof if she ever brought home a black boy. The fellow military brat replied, "My parents wouldn't care about that... I can date any color except enlisted."

*snerk*

Comments

[rogue53.livejournal.com]

Oh so true!

We have a daughter in the Marines and a son in the Army (don't ask...) and my husband (Army, ret.) told the girl not to bring home a marine...

'Course, when I talked to her later, she said that all the upper ranks said that a marine shouldn't marry in the service, that they should marry to the land; in other words, marry a civilian. I thought it was interesting, until I realized that is just what my son had done. Kind of interesting...

I would be more worried that she just found someone that she loved and loved her back. Right now, she's just trying to get through the computer training and staying in a three way tie for first place in her class.

[kaigou.livejournal.com]

I've spent the past day trying to think of any examples and honestly, I can think of maybe two couples? mayyyyybe three in my entire life, who were both active-duty at the same time? It's just not that common, not to mention how tough it'd be to constantly get transfers roughly similar in time/place, especially if your skills are divergent.

The only reason I personally shied away from dating military was because a) I had no interest in EVER living in enlisted housing on base and I knew full well enlisted makes JACK for income, and b) I absolutely refused to put up with the BS Officers' Wives' Club nonsense. Thanks, I did my time being dressed up and helpful for my grandmother's hosted events, and then my mother's...!