Both my daughters went on vacation to Yellowstone yesterday.  My granddaughter's father decided it would be a good time for him to get a rest from the baby (13 1/2 months).  For as much as I am THRILLED to have her here.  It is hard to keep caught up on AnySoldier with her tearing the house apart.  Don't misunderstand me.  I wouldn't give up this time with her for a million dollars.  We waited 11 years for a grandchild and she will be the ONLY one.  But how do you tell a baby that you have soldiers to keep up with?

Mary

You give her a coloring book and let her do pictures to put in your boxes!!  They love "helping", even at that age!

My friend is also involved w/anysoldier, and she was at her sisters house this weekend for a visit.  Her 4 year old niece was hearing the conversations as my friend told about her soldiers, and "Aunt Judy" mentioned how the soldiers were helping the children who didn't have toys and candy and stuff.  This child went into her room, unprovoked, and gathered up some of her toys in a bag, and brought them into the kitchen and gave them to her aunt and told her she wanted the soldiers to give them to the kids. 

Phillis, I live in a gerrymandered district just south of "A squared" (also known as “the People’s Republic of Ann Arbor”)  For any college football fans out there, I ride past the Big House on my way to work.  GO BLUE!!


P.S. I’m so curious about your avatar.  I really can’t quite make it out but, whenever I see it I think of Teddy Roosevelt’s "Big Stick" diplomacy (or the African proverb), ”Speak softly and carry a big stick and you will go far…”

[Forgive us Valeta for hijacking your thread—the general chit-chat kind of took over…I’m posting this here hoping we live in the same college town.]

Dear Phyllis,

Thank you so much for the idea.  I'm sure the soldiers would get a kick out of her scribbles (if she doesn't eat the crayon first).  Tomorrow I'll get coloring book and crayons for her.  Just think of all the young men and women who have babies her age.  They'll love it.

Mary 

 

Lol, Betc, there's nothing to apologize for! It's great to see everybody talking, so friendly.
 

But I'm afraid to say....GO GREEN! Haha! (Though I have to say, I shopped at Ann Arbor a couple weekends ago and LOVED it. But I felt like a betrayer, lol)

One of my managers was from Ann Arbor.  The company was "technically" Detroit, but really Bellville, Sterling Hgts, places like that.

And the avatar--the "stick" is actually the top part of a bass fiddle--my husband and I have a bluegrass band.  Not my favorite picture, just the only one I happened to have on my computer at work when I did my sign-up! 

I'm so "off thread" again, but I really don't know how to start a new one--HELP ME!!!  

They'll love it!!  Is that her on your post picture??  She's precious!

I've been telling people ''I'm sending a care package to someone who is in the Army''.  I don't mention Iraq or any other specifics at first. If the conversation continues I'll mention the website name and where the recipient are deployed (or maybe if they are really in the Air Force, whatever). By that time I can tell if they are interested in hearing more, or if they could not care less.

Hope its not too late to jump into this! I recently had a problem with my own mother on this who actually asked me "why? they wouldnt do it for you?"  Naturally she wouldnt understand, some people just dont get it!  I agree that it doesnt matter what sideof the war you are on supporting our men and women doesnt mean you need to take a side. It means that you care enough about your country to take care of the people that are on the front lines. So you know what I said to my mother,"If you were there I would hope someone would do it for you and if I was there I would hope you would want someone to do it for me" end of story!

LittleIrishFairy, 

Next time just remind your mom that what they are doing for US is far more than spending a wee bit of time or money to send a touch of home to them.  They are putting their "civilian" lives on hold (not building a career or seniority at a job, maybe putting off schooling), leaving family and friends (in some cases babies or young children or new wives), in constant danger and worrying about all their fellow warriors, putting in atrocious hours and days of work in extremely harsh conditions, not to mention risking their lives and psychological health, while some people at home do not offer them even a tiny morsel of support.    I loved your statement: "If you were there I would hope someone would do it for you and if I was there I would hope you would want someone to do it for me" end of story!   Absolutely spot on in my book!

Kathy

Valeta: "openly anti-war area" caught my eye, being that I live in San Francisco.  Actually, the other side of the Bay owns more militant hysterics but even here in the melting-pot of Oz, it's possible to be attacked at the most benign of events for not leaping to support some frenzy browbeat passing through. It's very common, which also means, it's very human -doesn't make it fun. If other peoples' assumptions on war & support are BARKED between the chablis and apertif, I tend to remark on the quality of the basalmic kale. Not trying to be factious, just believe in that well known story about no pearls before swine. If pressed for opinion about the new SecDef or surge, I'm apt to give mine about non-reflective laundry soap, the quality of CoolMax vs. 100% cotton, the crucible of loss, the brotherhood of honor, the power of soldarity - and defend my area of expertise. I very much related to your comment of clamming up and not saying too much. I do say some things, aye, but I think what's even more important is that I do, what it is I do.  

I support my AnySoldiers, I write into field (and articles as well), I listen every day, I demonstrate respect and integrity as a normalcy, not a superiority and this includes the Nazi taking over what was a pleasant dinner party. Make an effort to be pleasant too, but that's not a panacea and those who require it as a proper show of 'niceness' to manipulate other's behavior aren't worth commentary; so yes - definately have limits on conversations with those uninformed, hysterical, maudlin, or bullying. Easy part is not sticking around people entangled with their own petard; Shakespeare had some wisdom about that, good to follow. Tougher is making a verbal contribution that represents that which I respect oh-so well. I tend toward short answers: poignant and sweet. "Do I support the soldiers?" Oh yes.  "So, you support the war?" any man or woman who rises to defend my family greatly has my respect.  "Yes, but you do support the war?"  (smile) sorry, there is no 'yes, but'.  Standing (sometimes) in silence, is still standing as long as the action still prevails.  Each of us (I believe) will contribute support, to pass good words, to do good deeds as opportunity presents.  Winning hearts & minds :) is sometimes pretty darned effective with the most gentle of comments, and particularly with ones own activity.  Carrying in my AnySoldier boxes, I have had strangers say, "why? they wouldn't do it for YOU" in the most derisive tones. "But they have!" is my smilng, my most heartful response: "they HAVE, they oh-so have, over and over again - God bless them".

Any soldier, and AnySoldier.com are fine pearls indeed.   

Sometimes I will say that I don't think you have to be in total agreement with this administration in order to support the Soldiers. I am old enough to remember what happened after Vietnam, and sometimes I will say, "Because I don't ever want to happen to these Soldiers what happened after Vietnam." Or I will say, "Unless you are a total pacifist, and you are willing to let yourself and your children be killed, rather than kill someone, then we need an army. And I think we need to support them." I also believe that having them feel cared about keeps them safer, and these are our men and women.

a_mom_from_SF:

  Carrying in my AnySoldier boxes, I have had strangers say, "why? they wouldn't do it for YOU" in the most derisive tones. "But they have!" is my smilng, my most heartful response: "they HAVE, they oh-so have, over and over again - God bless them".

 

I'm curious -- how would a stranger know what was in your box? Did this happen at the post office? I'm always astonished at the degree of persecution other supporters seem to encounter.

Pam 

APO/FPO addresses, custom forms, nosey-ness, curiousity, busy-body-ness.  Maybe they didn't cotton to the smiles from the USPS workers who'd sing out, "how's our guys doing?" and "have you heard from your Marines?"  Or, the occasional holl-la from the desk when it's been really, really busy, "HEY!  APO-lady, can you help this guy, it's his first time" when another customer's struggling with a customs form.  I don't really know what prompts some people's not "getting it", but I do believe it eminates from within the individual, and not from any of the activity above.

I used to get weird comments from coworkers in the office but after a couple of months, they have finally realized that care packages are a good thing. I haven't been able to recruit any of them into sending care packages but they do give me items to include in mine.

However, one of the postal clerks at the downtown Mountain View post office here in Northern California always sneers at my packages. She clearly thinks that I'm wasting my time and money and has said so on numerous occassions. I've let her know that what I do with my time and money is my business and her business is to process my packages and customs forms in accordance with the USPS guidelines and procedures and to keep her mouth shut.

I've actually started going to the post office in Sunnyvale even though I have to drive farther, but all of the postal clerks there are nothing but professional and I've never heard a negative comment from any of them.

Meili