You kinda have to BE a brat to understand brats. We're....different. One of the only civilians I ever met that got close to getting it was Ben Mattix, and, not meant as an insult, brother, but he didn't fit in real well either.
A quick rundown on why Brats are so unique in this world, and why people often have a hard time understanding us: None of us understand the big hoopla about race/color/religion. We're outside the whole race/class issue. We "don't know any better".
One of the worst days of my life was the first day back at an American Public School seeing how little I fit in, since I didn't know there was a difference between white people, hispanic people, black people, gay people, female people, male people, smart people, athletic people, ect ect. My "ethnic" friends had it much worse, i know. At least when I moved back Stateside, it was to Nebraska. If I had moved straight to FL.....I'd probably have killed someone. Whole different level of ignorance around here.
As a brat, you don't have the time for that bullshit. Back when we were growing up, at the tail end of the Cold War, you moved every 18mo-2 years. You left your friends or they left you every other month it seemed.
You either learned how to adapt....or you went batshit nuts.
I think a few of us toed that line anyway.
I know a lot of people SAY their friends are like family.....Brats mean it.
We didn't have a choice, Dad (and in some cases mom) was always deployed and the other parent had to work, 'cause, let's face it, the military pays dogshit. So you met these other brats, instantly became close, and had the kind of friendships in a few months to a couple years that last lifetimes. Even now, if I run into another Brat, one I had never met before, we'll start talking like old friends.
And when I run into people I was stationed with (Make no mistake about it, Brats are in the military just as much as servicemen and their spouses, we just don't get the guns...most of the time ;) ), it's like nothing has changed.
(The town I lived in while stationed in Germany)
Moving back TO The USA was the biggest culture shock in my life......and I've wanted to leave every day since. I've yet to meet someone that was stationed overseas that doesn't feel the same. Hell, a couple of my CIVILIAN friends that have vacationed overseas even know what I'm talking about.
I'm often ashamed to call myself an American when I see the hatred, pettiness, and unfounded superiority complex displayed by so many in the American public today.
This, mind you, by a populace that, in all honestly, has less flexibility and useful education than almost any country on earth.
I mean, you all know the old joke "What do you call a person that speaks 3 languages? Trilingual. Two languages? Bilingual. Just one? American".
Truth hurts, and, for the "Greatest Country On Earth"....I just wish some days we'd (as a country) act it.
Instead of like a bunch of backwoods racist uneducated morons.....as we see in person and on the news all too often.
Sigh....I miss Europe. Rant over.
No comments:
Post a Comment