It’s good to have him home!

Well, Josh has been back for a couple of days now. Sunday and Monday he was a bit disorientated. Not so much jet lag as culture shock. And that was to be expected. Yesterday, he was showing signs of being “normal Josh.” Humidity is bothering him less. He likes wearing anything but green. And Josh has enjoyed watching baseball from the comfort of his very own easy chair at home while holding his remote control. We are both sleeping well, Josh because he has a comfortable bed, me because I need Josh around in order to sleep well.

A couple of etiquette issues should be discussed. DO NOT ask a soldier “Did you kill anyone?” or “Did you discharge your weapon?” or any question where you expect to be entertained with stories of blood and gore. Go ahead and ask about the politics behind the war, but don’t expect either Josh or me to mimic back your political opinion. There is a difference between being in favor of an issue and commitment to the issue. A favorable opinion is easy, commitment takes work.

And, let’s say you know someone who just got a soldier back home… don’t call his wife or mom the day after he gets back unless you are part of the wife/mom’s immediate family or one of her two or three very best friends. E-mail is great! I can shoot of an e-mail when one or the other of us needs “space.” But, *please* don’t call the day after a soldier comes home.

So, yes, I’ve given up control of the remote, my car keys (besides which, we busted the automatic seat adjuster fuse on Sunday), and the bathroom. The agenda for the next couple of days are renewing his drivers license, buying tabs for his truck, filing his off of active duty papers where they need to be filed, and an oil change. But since this is a gorgeous day, I’m going to talk Josh into spending some of it outside.