Now that all is said and done and I'm 2.5 years married, I'm currently a stay at home wife. To boot, I'm a stay at home army wife (SAHAW). If I thought the stigma and judgment would end once we were finally married and the idea of our marriage had the chance to mature in the minds of our peers/friends/associates/society, I couldn't have been more wrong. Here are some responses to some of my favorite current criticisms. As always, colorful language and metaphores are present, and all "you's" are general.
1. "You're an ARMY wife. Wow, you must have a bajillion kids."- Oh really now? And where exactly would I be hiding my hoard of children, since I don't remember conceiving, birthing, or seeing any. And 2.5 years is a LONG ass time for a game of hide-and-seek, even for the best of them.
2. "You also stay at home; you must not have an education."- Would you also suggest that gnomes govern the sewer systems, and that the sun is actually a giant Tropicana orange? I worked two jobs in college, and still earned two degrees in four years. DO NOT doubt my work ethic or will power. If you'd like, you can examine my diploma for yourself, as ugly as it is (hint HINT Muhlenberg College!). It does exist, laying in the bottom of my closet. Because unlike YOU, everything I am is worth more than a piece of paper.
3. "Well then why are you not working? You must be lazy, or have no career goals of your own. You're happy to mooch off your husband."- Do. Not. EVER. Say. This. To. Me. Period. While there are certain things I do enjoy about being at home right now, I'm no leech. I did not marry my husband for his money, so I could sit around on my ass and not contribute. There are many reasons factoring into why I'm not working right now, which are no one else's business but my own. But since you're so bold as to assume, I'll elaborate a little bit. YOU try finding a job in a bilingual area when you're not bilingual. YOU try finding a job where employers know you won't be living there long enough to make training you worth their while. And YOU try changing career paths without being able to get your foot in the door anywhere for the aforementioned reasons. And THEN tell me what I must or must not want for my life.
