• Home
    • Photo Archives 2021-2022
    • Photo Archives 2020
    • Photo Archive 2019
    • Photo Archive 2018 - >
      • Photo Archives 04/01/17 >
        • Photo Archives 06/01/16 - 10/31/16
        • Photo Archive 09/01/2015 - 01/31/2016
        • Photo Archive 01/01/15
        • Photo Archive 8/01/14 - 12/31/14
        • Photo Archive 4/02/14 - 7/31/14
        • Photo Archive 11/24/13-04/01/14
        • Photo Archive 10/01/2013
        • Photo Archive 02/01/2016 - 05/31/2016
      • Photo Archive 11/03/16 -
    • EVENTS & BOOK SIGNINGS
  • About the Author
    • Contact us
    • FAQ
  • Buy the books
    • Book 2 Preview
  • Blog
  • About the book
    • Locales in the book
    • Allied Naval Forces >
      • Pacific Fleet
      • Atlantic Fleet
    • Allied Ground Forces
    • Allied Air Forces
    • Strategic Reserves
Michael S. Pauley, Author

Now for something completely different......

5/21/2014

0 Comments

 
Some years ago, 1997 to be exact, I wrote a relatively short story about the joys of parenting.  In the spirit of demonstrating how difficult it might be to raise kids, I sat down to write out a few of my experiences with a little humor.  I haven’t shared this tome much outside the family, but for some reason I thought I might share it here.  If you find it amusing, then by all means let me know.  If not, then so be it......  Without further adieu:

Every year when Father’s Day approaches, I have wondered why this holiday would be around in the first place.  My wife blames this and Mother’s Day on Hallmark and the other greeting card companies.  I, on the other hand, see it in a slightly different light.  Father’s Day reminds me more of the somewhat dubious honor imposed by the Purple Heart, or what I call the “I forgot to duck medal.”  I certainly am not taking anything away from the Purple Heart, because to achieve this honor you have got to pay a rather high and horrible price.  By the same token, no one I know goes off to war hoping to get awarded the medal either, at least I know I never did, and fortunately, I never earned it.  I was lucky, but with marriage and children, I was beginning to question that luck.
  
You see to be a parent requires a similar ultimate sacrifice, . . . your sanity.  I will guarantee you that men normally don’t go into their adult lives hoping to achieve the “I got a bunch of Kids Medal.”  The exception to this is the gentleman who willingly marries someone with kids.  The greeting card companies are finally acknowledging this stellar achiever, and now that I am one of those idiots, I can finally appreciate what that really means.

So, what does it mean?  Well, it requires you to never sleep, have a hot meal, or have uninterrupted quality time with your spouse.  It requires you to check reason at the door, and step into a world unlike any other.  In this alternate reality to a normal life, there are no right or wrong answers, instead there is only survival.  Life is fluid, consistency is a dream, but most of all, sanity is optional; the less you have, the more likely you are to thrive as a parent and step parent.  

This was the introduction written all those years ago, and there will be more to follow.  Hopefully you’ll enjoy it as something lighter than the normal geopolitical stuff. ~ Michael S. Pauley.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Michael S. Pauley is a Navy brat and an old soldier who served in all three components of the United States Army. Living in Lexington, South Carolina, Michael is now a practicing attorney and member of the United States Naval Institute and the American Legion, Post 154, Tybee Island, Georgia.

    Archives

    June 2021
    May 2021
    December 2020
    August 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013

    Categories

    All
    Aliens
    Current News
    Day Job
    Day Job
    Events
    History
    Military
    Random Thoughts
    Sequels
    Writing

    RSS Feed

Contact us
EVENTS/BOOK SIGNINGS
FAQ
Buy the books
Site maintained by Downhill Media Group, LLC