pity

As humans, as people, why do we feel the need to pity people when times are tough? I realize I am guilty of this too, but anyone who has ever received pity knows that not only does it sometimes make everything worse, but it is somewhat embrassing and humiliating. There has to be a line between sympathy and pity, but far too often the line is crossed.

For anyone who doesnt know (which would be nearly everyone I know, because I've told very few people) we found out yesterday that Austin is being deployed in January. Sad, yes. Horrifying, yes. Difficult to bear, yes. But does that automatically slap a sign on my forehead saying "pity me"? I know people mean well, but hearing things such as "oh you poor thing" just remind me that I have reason to be pitied. And if I had a penny for every time someone has pitied me...I'd have a lot more $ than I do now. Everyone should just give me a penny whenever they want to say "you poor thing" I could have retired before I even went to college.

It's not that I don't appreciate the people in my life, because I do. I appreciate everyone's love and support and I honestly could not have made it through half of my life without that support. And I know that people MEAN well when they do this, I just wish I could walk around with a red flag, and whenever someone crosses that line I could wave it in their face. Not to be rude, just to let them know "your love and support I need, your pity I don't"

And just to offer information so I won't have to explain it 100 times...Austin leaves January 6 to go to 8 weeks of training, then from there he will go to Iraq for 6 months. Obviously I'd be naive to assume there is a 0% chance of that 6 months being extended, but I can hope and pray. So if all goes as well as it could, Austin will be back home around the end of August 2008.

That's all. And thanks, in advance, for the immense support I know you'll be offering my way over the next 10 months.