The Man at Home
Elle's father, Ted, is headed to war in Iraq week after next. Most of the people who know Ted don't really picture him as the Marine kind of guy. The only time I've hung out with him, he seemed like a "slider". That is someone who slides along in life until something happens. Then they scramble to cover. That isn't a bad thing really. I do not mean it as an insult. I've been a "slider" too.
I am Elle's step father. Ted was not ready to  be a dad. I'm not sure I was either. I'm not sure any one is except my friend Adam. It seems like he spent his whole life making himself ready to be a dad. It was pretty cool when he and Laurie finally adopted Cecilia. They make great parents.
Nat and Ted made a wonderful, beautiful little girl. People say "How did you two make such a great kid?" Nat and Ted both seem to hate that. I would too. I have to say it scares me that Elle seems so low maintenance now because I can tell she will be preppy when she gets older. I can soooo see her as a cool kid or whatever the equivalent is in a few years. I am practicing cleaning my shotgun in front of an audience.
I've said before that it seems I should have been a soldier. I am disabled. I cannot go. I feel left out. I feel I should have gone and fought.  The funny thing is, I'm a woos. I far prefer to avoid fighting. I would rather swallow my pried and avoid a fight.
I read military blogs. I watch videos from the war. I pay attention to the MSM because you have to read between the lines to figure out what is really going on. My over all opinion is "It's a war zone." Things get done. Sometimes good people die. Bad people get away. The thing about a war is that the situation has gone too far for talking to resolve the issues. Things have gotten out of hand.  The U. S. is sending troops to Iraq and the whole Middle East is sending troops to fight us there. There have been reports of Egyptians, Syrians, Chinese, and God knows who else being captured or killed trying to fight us there.
Yet, here I am. I sleep at home every night. I get hot meals regularly. Even when I go "camping" it doesn't resemble camping much. No one is shooting at me (mostly). Yet, I'm a provider for a family. I do my best to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads.
Ted is doing his part too. In a broader sense he is protecting his family. I'm not belittling what he is doing. It is an important contribution. I would rather the fight be taken to some foreign land than be fought on the streets of the U. S..
Nat works as hard as I do just keeping things a float. I don't know how families do it where both spruces work full time. It is like climbing a haystack. It is wonderful when Nat can run an errand or help a friend of ours while I'm stuck at work. It really does take two people to keep the family going.
So, yes, we all have our parts. I enjoy being a family man. Nat complains that I spend too much time on the computer, but hey, that's part of being me. I should not let myself feel like less of a man because I am not on the front lines. But ... I do. A little bit.