Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Happy Valentine's Day to you too (you slack jawed rat bastard...)

Ok, it's the big day of love. Not to be confused with three days of love in '69. Went ok, I ate too many of those yummy candy hearts (each saying in each color) but got out of work int ime to go thrash myself on a few mountains on my bike. Funny thing, I was all excited to go when I left work, I got behind some slow person and got home about 15 minutes later than normal. Which threw my already tight schedule off, but I decided to perservere and got out there and then it was great. I'm very happy with how I rode, and of course enjoyed the little scenario I had in my head to keep me going. I have to imagine I'm in a race that's being televised and I imagine the commentary. Pretty good stuff. No, I don't win all the time. LOL It works for me, that's what's important. So I got home and of course was somewhat frozen, like my fingers and toes, the rest was ok. One of my simple pleasures of life is getting home freezing cold and taking a long hot shower after a ride and shaving my legs. Sounds strange, but I love the feeling of being warm and super clean.

Anyway, I was talking to a person earlier in the day while hanging aroung on my lunch break with a friend. This ignoramus knew I had been in the Army and had the unmitigated nerve to ask me if I killed people, "because that's wrong". Uh huh. Bitch. Sorry, but that's wrong to ask crap like that.

So I responded thusly (is that really a word?) "Yes, for a few reasons. One, so you wouldn't ever have to know the horror of combat or have the sleepless nights or feelings of isolation that I've been dealing with, two, I'd do it again if it meant no else would have to ever again, and three, so that you'd have the right to ask such an insensitive question no matter how tactless it is." With that I got up and walked back to work. People amaze me. How we're not extinct with the daily displays of stupidity I witness boggles my mind, not to mention male adolescence.

So, on to happier thoughts. It's Valentine's and I'm single. Again. Oddly it doesn't bother me. At all. I'm really looking forward to my singleness. No distractions, no expenses. Of course, there is a law student...

5 comments:

SK said...

You know, I get similar questions about being a police officer.
People ask me" So did you GET to shoot anyone?" GET? What, like did I get to ride the ferris wheel at the carnival? It makes me so mad.
I just squint my eyes, stare at them for a minute, and then reply, "I thank God I never had to take someone's life in the line of duty but if I had it would have been to protect the life of someone else or my own and I would never brag about it." Like killing someone is something that you would just get over in a minute. I will never forget the first time I ever had to pull a gun out on someone. I was shaking b/c I had a loaded gun pointed at someone's face and realized the possible consequences. Of course, towards the end of my four year stint I whipped that thing out like a pro but I never forgot or lost sight of the power of a bullet.

Lora said...

I truely hope the person who asked you that question was extremely young and extremely stupid. I have to say that I was blinded enough by my ideals at a young age that I might have been just that stupid. Very nice response, I hope that it had enough of an effect on them that they might think before they speak in the future.

Mike said...

Wow, you were a police officer? So cool and honorable. My hat is off to you. Yeah, the power of a bullet. Good phrase. And you're right, you don't get over it in a minute. I still deal with it and it's been 9 years since I was in uniform. I remember the first deployment I was on, and was all excited and pumped on adrenalin, then when we were getting shot at I thought "back up the truck, this is insane". I never totally desensitized to it, and I think that's why it bothers me to this day.

Lora, the person was in her late 20's. Enough said. Yeah, I knew you when you were young and idealistic. You were NEVER that stupid. You were compassionate and may not have agreed, but you always did it in a non ingratiating way. that's why I thought you were cool, besides the fact you were.

SK said...

There's just no excuse for ignorance and insensitivity (is that a word?).

Lora said...

I was pretty blinded by my ideals at the time. It's nice to know that didn't come off as bad as I feared. I call those my nazi-environmentalist days.