T Minus 14 Days

I was typing up another post, but shelved it. There is no way to justify going any farther before introducing myself, my husband, and our situation.

Me - I've recently taking to calling myself a creative dilettante, both as an honest compliment and dry insult to myself. Although I'm 24, I haven't finished college yet, nor had a regular job in 18 months.

I'm a writer, but my credits only include self-published hobby books and one newspaper article. I am constantly scribbling down ideas in notebooks and on sticky notes, and occasionally fleshing things out, but haven't tried to sell any short fiction or finish any long fiction. Recently I've started writing poetry semi-seriously and plan to spend more time on it next year. While my natural response to life is to write, I have been spending more time and effort on drawing.

I don't call myself an artist yet. I've been filling sketchbooks with my practice drawings for three years, and hope to be attending art school once DH and I settle down next year. Ideally I want to bring my art skills up to match my writing skills and do things like Mouse Guard or Promethea (an all-time favorite).

Not having a job is both a blessing and a curse. I appreciate DH supporting my creativity and my goals more than I can express. He saw how much it sucked the life and energy out of me to work the kinds of crappy jobs I could get hired for. He willingly was the one to go out and get a crappy job this year when we were in limbo and only had one car. I love him for supporting me so gladly, but often got frustrated when I felt like I wasn't contributing enough.


DH (my Dear Husband) I'll do this best I can without gushing.

For 18 months before we met, I was a fan of DH's artwork, having found it online through a mutual friend. I think it's a key point to understanding this blog to realize that from when I discovered DH, through our whole friendship, courtship and newlywed years, up until he started talking about joining the USMC Reserves, I never saw him as someone with the personality and interest set to enlist.

He enjoys a military aesthetic, he draws stories about wars (although in a fantasy setting), he is one of the most knowledgeable people I know when it comes to world affairs, he has strong values and believes in honor. He has many qualities that, on paper, aren't at odds with military service. I can understand why people might be confused when I say I'm apprehensive about his joining the Marines.

"But.. but... but... he's an artist!!" I protest. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled and proud that he wants to serve, and think he will do well. Despite being an individual, I believe he will excel at "playing the game" when it comes to conforming and doing what is expected and demanded of him. I just spend every day seeing a man who gets cranky when he doesn't get to draw in his sketchbook, who is so often lost in epic tales unspooling in his mind, who doesn't look like he has a violent bone in his body.

I know there are other men in the service like him, and I know we'll do fine making friends with people who aren't like us. I just feel that the path we're on is not the one usually traveled by Marines and their families.



The Limbo
April 2006, I was accepted to an art college on the east coast.
May 2006, we were pushed out of the house we were subletting when the real owner returned. Have to move with my parents until...
October 2006, we have our wedding celebration and
November 2006, move to the east coast.
For the next year, DH is run in circles by the admissions department, I delay entry to wait for his acceptance to the art college. He does freelance art, I work retail.
August 2007, DH starts looking for a full-time studio art job, we give up on the east coast art school.
November 2007, our lease is up and we have no reason to remain where there are no art jobs. Come back to stay with my parents so DH can finish a big, important project.
January 2008, DH completes big project, starts looking for a studio job. I start a webcomic.
March 2008, nobody is hiring, DH mentions USMC Reserve duty, I say "Why not active?" and it's all downhill from there.

DH insists on having a particular job field (Visual Information) on his contract (recruiter's worst nightmare) meant that his projected date for entering boot camp was August, then October, then December.

Only a week or so ago did his recruiter finalize things. Then say something very crude about how DH better do a good job in boot camp because it was very very difficult to get that MOS.

So for the past 13 months DH and I have been depending on the boundless hospitality of my parents. In some ways I've been in limbo for over two years, since being accepted to that art school back east. I still have 6 or 7 months to go before the Marines tell us where we're going to live, but at last I see a light in this long, long tunnel.

I think I can stand it.