March 29, 2004

WEAKNESS

Many months ago the Air Force Major asked me why the Army sees comfort as a sign of weakness. I don't know if the Army instills it in us or if it's something innately human that the Army has merely tapped, but I know I feel it too. I am dealing with my own feelings of weakness. Desire to hear from my husband is weakness. Complaining is weakness. Letting someone see me sad is weakness. Not grokking is weakness. A comfortable deployment is weakness. To an outsider it probably sounds like I'm crazy, but at least it makes me compatible with the Army mentality.

Posted by: Sarah at 03:57 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
Post contains 106 words, total size 1 kb.

1 Which is why the infantry, in its many incarnations, are the least weak of them all.

Posted by: Jason at March 29, 2004 11:06 AM (rfgVv)

2 I would rather say that it is a vulnerability, not a weakness.

Posted by: Blueshift at March 29, 2004 01:50 PM (mTwk/)

3 I definitely grok this feeling. The only part I don't see as a weakness in myself is the desire to hear from the husband/boyfriend/loved one. I see it this way: he is the person--the entity, even--that I value most in this world. If I were irrational about the situation, pitching a fit and insisting that he come home, that would be weakness. But wanting to hear from him, even wanting to be with him--and understanding that I can't at the moment--is not weakness; it's just acknowledging how I feel about him. Love is not a weakness, it is an expression of strength. Not a criticism, just another way of looking at things. Good luck with your long days, Sarah!

Posted by: Carla at March 29, 2004 03:14 PM (r5M6F)

4 Sarah, the linked post is fascinating. As I said in my comment over there, we all serve the same nation, defend the same ideals, and take the same oath. Each branch contributes towards The Mission. No branch of service is better or worse, on balance -- just unique.

Posted by: david at April 01, 2004 02:43 AM (EjwYl)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

Comments are disabled. Post is locked.
43kb generated in CPU 0.0123, elapsed 0.0837 seconds.
49 queries taking 0.0765 seconds, 201 records returned.
Powered by Minx 1.1.6c-pink.