Ya know. It seems that when things can't get any worse, they somehow find a way to get better.
On 12 May 2008, my wife of 8 years gave me some news which just completely took the wind from my sails. Completely. I felt empty, hollow, alone, and like my world was ending. I had a few friends who stepped up to the plate (on myspace, real life, yahoo) and made me feel like I had a fighting chance.
My wife told me she didn't want to be with me anymore. She also stated that she was going to move A LONG LONG ways away from me with the boys. She wanted a separation. I broke down.
Well, in the process of getting the separation agreement taken care of, taking it to legal and having them review it, since we typed it as a joint effort through email, I found out something I did not know at the time. I still had a sense of humor. Not only that, I could make people smile again. I also found out that I could smile and grin from ear to ear again.
I didn't want to get back to work in a hurry, didn't want to be at this one particular meeting that somehow seems to put me to sleep. I needed to make a follow-up with the Attorney to go over the agreement again, and was talking with the legal aide. Nothing major, just the usual stuff, where ya from, what unit you in, when's the next available appointment, is it hot enough for you yet (it hit 118 degrees yesterday and it's not even June yet), how long you been in, no can't do it next friday, got a cermony to go to....no thursday mornings are no good, got training...no that's not good, got a site survey. No, not that day either. Oh, next Wednesday..OK. So, made my appointment,and she asked me to spell my name, well, my mouth was dry (IT WAS HOTT and I was getting dehydrated), and when I tried to spell my name for her, she just didn't understand. So I pulled out my handy dandy business card holder and handed her a business card. She looked at it, and then said, "So Jared, can I call you sometime?" (It has my work number, my nonsecure email, and my cell phone number.)
Now, here is where I got confused. A. I am there for a separation agreement, not to sign it, but to have it reviewed. So, I am still married at this time, and that is a BIG NO NO! B. I am a Staff Sergeant, she is a legal assistance clerk (rank will not be listed, but she is not junior enlisted), and well. She could get in more trouble than me. C. We are in the fricking desert and it is HOTTTTT! outside. Even at night.
So, even if she was only stroking my ego, she made me feel about a thousand times better. Even if she was not stroking me ego, there is no way in hell I am going out with her as anything but a friend, I could be leaving as early as September, or as late as next October. Plus, I am no where near ready to start dating again. My heart is beat to hell. Gonna take a lot of baling wire, duct tape, and aluminum foil to fix it.
So I guess getting my ego stroked was what I needed in life to start fixing my outlook a bit better. (To my wife, sorry, I couldn't come out and just tell you that someone flirted her ass off with me.)
Oh, and when she asked, my reply was (which she thought was hilarious): I am my units Equal Opportunity Leader, and what you were just thinking was Sexual Harassment. She replied back, I didn't say anything. I said exactly, you thought it, and it is still sexual harassment. She asked when I wanted my appointment, they had openings in January.
