Disclaimer: The following feelings are mine and mine alone so please don't be offended if you feel differently. This is not a gripe about others, but rather about a dispute between Mr. Marine and myself!I love my Country. I love Mr. Marine. I stand behind our men and women in uniform.
That being said...I love my home and I love its modern design and unique artwork. If a picture is framed in something other than a sleek silver frame it bugs me to death! Hence the "discussion" that began the other night.
We have a lonely console table at the base of our stairwell and I was waiting to frame some of my fave pics and display them above said table with a vase of flowers displayed on the table.
Then Mr. Marine decides he wants to hang his 3 commissioning certificates there (in their nice antique frames). And put a huge 500 page Semper Fi book on the table. With his Company group pics from Boot Camp and OCS.
"You know, like a space for my Marine stuff," he explains
"No, you mean like some ate-up Ode to the Corps spot?" I laugh.
Now please don't misunderstand and think I hate the USMC; it just doesn't belong all over the house. If we had an office...it could go there. Or he could take it to his office once he takes over the XO position next year and gets his own space.
I have a very dear friend whose husband keeps all his gear in the garage and he changes before he ever walks in the door. She is very active in the OWC and works tirelessly for the Wounded Warriors, but she doesn't want the Marine Corps to take over the house and family as well. I agree. This job is all-encompassing. It does define us (ouch, that hurt to say). But I want a small piece of my life to be "normal" and that is my home.
So I left the issue alone - for now - to avoid a fight. But I am putting my foot down on this one. I don't have USMC blankets strewn over my couch (though I do own one). I don't have Marine Officer paraphernalia in the house. I don't wear USMC shirts (at least not if I can help it). I don't tell time by the military clock. And I do not own a shirt that reads "I have one of the few," or "Sleep Safe. Sleep with a Marine." And I do not have a sticker on my car that reads, "Marine Wife - Toughest Job in the Corps" (though I wouldn't argue).
At the end of the day, I am not a Marine, I am married to one. I often have days I am angry with the USMC and I don't want to have to come home and feel like they own me too.
So...there will be no Ode to the Corps corner in mi casa.
P.S. If you proudly display your husbands stuff, and the various objects they sell to represent the branch your husband serves in, you are the majority so don't be offended by my rant. Please. I know some very proud Marine wives who I have the privilege of being friends with who disagree with me on this. So in the end, I'm probably just being a b-atch and like a child, this is my way of showing my independence :) Hey, at least I'm not coming home with purple hair and a lip ring!
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the ode to mr. jetplane - the USAF and the Chicago Cubs go in his office. However, when we move that office is going to be all mine... since i'm working from home and since he'll be on for like 12-14hrs a day training he won't need the computer. its all classified so he can't work on it at home anyway. All that stuff is going in a "man room" or in a guest bedroom. we shall see....
ReplyDeleteRight now I am sitting in the office which is THE MAN room. Granted my college degrees have been allowed on the wall but to my left is a picture of flyboy on some big ass gun and over that hangs a GIANT picture of his airplane and squadron patch. And doesnt everyone have the 1st Marine Division Commanding Generals message framed and hanging above their treadmill? Seriously I run on that thing reading over and over to be the enemies worst nightmare. But alas, this is the one room this stuff hangs in. And I did get to pick the color scheme out for in here, everything is in nice sleek black grames and whatnot. I'm all for a man room, its just not going to be in my foyer!
ReplyDeleteps. my inlaws had GIANT EAG's (two of them) hanging in their foyer with a rendition of Iwo Jima between it. AND they painted the walls Marine red. Stunning huh?
All of our stuff goes in the office. all of my diplomas and framed awards, all of his framed crap from the Academy, and pictures. The only thing that is downstairs are the framed flag that flew in the Capitol the day he was commissioned (it's pretty cool) and his framed Sabers (also really cool). Nothing else that screams Army.
ReplyDeleteAll of his uniforms are nicely stowed in the laundry room. They don't occupy closets and they sure as hell are not scattered around my house. He comes home, he goes straight to the laundry room and strips. There are no boots at my front entry way, no uniform jackets on the back of the couch. All of his equipment is nicely organized in the garage.
Yes, the Army is a huge part of our life, but it isn't the only thing in our life. And oh my gosh I am so proud of him, but gag me if that crap is all over our house!
On one hand it's nice that he cared to offer input... means he wants to be included in that kind of stuff. But on the other I see what you're saying. I have the majority of our Army/Military stuff/pictures in our spare room, but I do have little trinkets here and there in the rest of the house. Maybe there is a compromise? Maybe a lil' Marine Corp book on the table VS a GIANT sized one? =)
ReplyDeleteI so agree about the putting it in the office bit. We don't have a house of our own yet, but when we do, it will be in the office. I was inspired by Matt's best friend -- their house is much like yours in that everywhere is pictures of their normal life and when you go in the office, you get to see both of their university things and his Army stuff. I think it's a nice retreat/"man cave" if you will, while at the same time maintaining the distinction of what is life and what is work! :)
ReplyDeletemy husband has a MAN ROOM (also our guest bedroom...and I feel bad for the ones who stay in there). All of the USAF paraphernalia goes into that room, and if he needs a "man fix" he can go there. But the rest of our house is MINE! it's the one thing I can hold onto.
ReplyDeleteThough I have noticed that some of this USAF paraphernalia has started to make its way into my daughters room, such as a USAF teddy bear on her nightstand next to a picture of the three of us...I can handle that, but I don't know that i could dedicate an open area to all that stuff =)
I always joke that if you walked into our house, you would never know that we were in the military. Anything that is military related that I feel would be nice enough to show off goes into our office. I probably wouldn't be opposed to displaying some type of military ensignia, except all of it is not my decorating style. So, it stays in the office!
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, my father has an office that has all of his Marine awards, plaques and pictures. It's done very nicely, but everything has been professionally framed and organized by my mother. She has the touch!
I can relate! We keep his military stuff only in his office. And my mom makes my dad keep his military stuff in his office and the garage :)
ReplyDeleteDon't feel bad at all about not wanting it all over your house! I have matt keep all of that stuff in his office room. I refuse to let it take over the house. It takes over everything else...I refuse to let it take over my living room!
ReplyDeleteI am laughing so hard at this! My husband calls this the "I love me" area. Took him a lot of years, but he finally got the point. Now he keeps his "I love me" crap where it belongs... at work! :d
ReplyDeleteWhat is your dream?
ReplyDeleteI never really thought about it. The only Army paraphanalia we have out is the flags that Stonewall received from his first deployment.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree. My husband leaves his work at the firehouse. We have good friend who have everything marine, it looks trashy in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to add... My Mother in Law dropped off really gross cheap wood frames to put his certificates in. I gave them back a couple months later.
ReplyDeleteI 100% agree. Keep your work and personal life separate. Especially if there work controls the majority of your life. My life revolves around my husbands schedule.
ReplyDeleteWe have had similiar "discussions" about my fiance's coin collection. No: your entire collection does NOT need to displayed across the length of our bedroom dresser.
ReplyDeleteSomeday, he can have his man-room or office or I love me area. but not here, not now, not yet!