A memory from long ago

Obi-Wan and I were discussing this morning what’s coming down the pike for us in the next 2-5 years with his job.  He’ll be home on shore duty for the next 11 months and then he has to go to school out of state for his next sea job before going to sea again.  We also discussed his more long term career goals as far as how long he might stay in the Navy, etc. and I said I’m up for the long haul as long as we’re still managing to enjoy this chaotic existence and survive the time apart from each other.  He made a point of reminding me that as he keeps progressing up the food chain, it will involve more time apart with increased responsibility, even when he’s in port and all that, which I’m well aware of so it’s no surprise.  I won’t like it but it is what it is.  I’ll manage as I have before.

After the conversation ended, I immediately flashed back to one of our first dates with each other.  I think it was our second date, maybe, and I remember sitting in a restaurant in DC having a late lunch/early dinner with him and we were talking about his career.  You see, I only knew he was in the Navy but I didn’t know anything about his career.  We met each other in school years ago and I never saw him in uniform in any classes so I thought he was in the Reserves or something.  Well, during that conversation, he talked about being “active duty” and I was like “what’s that?”  I had no idea what that meant.  I thought “active duty” meant you wore a uniform all the time, even to classes, etc.  Silly me!  I really knew NOTHING about the military.   So then he starts talking about how he’s been deployed for 6 months at a time and served tours on two ships so far, etc., etc.  Immediately, I felt my heart sink b/c I was starting to really like him.  I knew him for months as a friend before we dated so when he told me that I thought “oh my, what have I gotten myself into?”  I swore I’d never date anyone in the military b/c how can anyone possibly have a good relationship and stay married and all that hoo-ha with their loved one gone so much.  It was impossible for me to picture myself in a relationship with someone where you spent so much time apart - really, I just couldn’t picture my life in that scenario. 

But look at us now.  After many more dates, we decided our relationship was worth pursuing b/c we loved each other (THIS MUCH - arms spread far apart) and wanted to try and weather the stormy seas together.  And boy am I glad I stuck with him b/c my life has been far more rewarding and fun with him in it.