Making friends. Girlfriends.
Since leaving high school, I’ve moved every three to four years. I started in Spokane, added a couple months in Idaho, a few years in El Paso, Texas then Colorado Springs, and finally, settled into my current home, Denver. I’ve managed to make military friends in every place I’ve lived. Good friends, no, awesome friends. Friends that entertained my 9-month old when I was too sick to stand up and friends that brought Hubby meals when I deployed.
I thank the Army for giving me the skills to make great friends fast. I’ll admit, I was pretty bad at the whole girlfriend thing in high school (most of my friends were guys) and only got a little better in college. In the Army, however, I found that I couldn’t be picky or apprehensive. Friends were family, sometimes for only a few months before moving to another Army post. I think my military girlfriends became like my sisters when I found myself so far from relatives.
I’ve quickly made a community of girlfriends in Denver this last year. This time I’m not moving nor do I sense the temporary as none of my current friends are in the military. I’ve never lived by my friends for more than three years and, honestly, I’m kinda hoping I don’t screw things up. I mean, seriously, it was nice not worrying about my aggressive, errr, outgoing personality driving someone crazy with an Army move on the horizon. Who knows how long these new friends will be willing to listen to my babble (poor, poor Hubby).
I told Hubby about my worries and he tried really hard to be sympathetic. It’s different with guys. As long as Hubby’s friends enjoy beer and some sort of man-game (poker and pool come to mind), then he’s content. After more than ten years around dudes, women tend to scare my camo pants right off. I don’t like to shop and my sense of humor can be… well, not so lady-like. I have flaky tendencies and don’t understand over-sensitivity. The crazy thing is all of my new girlfriends seem to be O.K. with that.
Never thought getting out of the Army would lead me to learning how to be a better girlfriend, but here I am. All of my new girlfriends are moms and I’m hoping our common efforts will be like that military bond I had with my Army friends. Really, I’m just hoping this post doesn’t scared off the few friends that I’ve made so far. So, for my friends, old and new, thanks for giving this Army girl a chance. Girlfriends can be scary, but, I think they’re worth it.
© 2009, FROM MILITARY TO MOM. All rights reserved.
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Stepping outside of ourselves and our comfort zone is often scary and frequently rewarding. It’s also where growth happens.
From a guy’s point of view, girlfriends ARE scary, but I don’t think they’re worth it and I think Tiger Woods will back me up on that one! :-p
Well, after reading THAT post…I’m running.
Seriously, though, it’s great to know you and your aggressive-outgoing personality!
Thanks, friends. This one was hard to write.
I actually got a little teary.
I love the way you are, that makes you, you!!! You definitely always make me laugh. 
So thankful for our group of girlfriends as well. Great post!!