Army Wives

I have a confession to make.

My name is Sara, and I like Army Wives.

Ok, so it's not entirely realistic. There are things- many things- that are not the way they really are. I suppose it would be akin to a doctor watching Grey's Anatomy or a lawyer watching... well, pretty much any other show on TV.

Season 2 won't be out for a while yet, but they're replaying Season 1, starting this past Sunday night. There I sat, with a half gallon of Chocolate Cream Pie ice cream, watching the pilot episode.

The show is full of cliches: The PFC who married the bartender he had known for 4 days. The girl-next-door mom of 2 kids who has a struggling marriage. The Major's wife who is abused by her teenage son. The Colonel's wife who has a great heart and seems pretty much perfect. The professional man whose wife is a Lieutenant Colonel- again, struggling marriage (did I mention they're also the token black couple?).

And those are just the main characters. Throw in several extra-marital affairs, the snobby General's wife, and all the obvious plotlines (PTSD, combat casualty, sudden deployment, etc), and you've got yourself a show.

I suppose that, on some level, I relate with all four of the female main characters in various ways, and that's what makes the show appealing. Nope, it's not true to Army life... but in all those cliches are experiences that are common among Army spouses.

You know, I have to tell you, I do love this. I watched my friend Brandy's daughter tonight, and when she came to pick her up, we sat here and talked for 2 hours. I know that good friends aren't unique to the Army... but the camaraderie is just on a different level. My sister-in-law Amy shared with me when she came to visit that she could just feel a different aura in the air around here- and it's true. Sadly, I watched Layla tonight so Brandy could go be with another friend of hers, who lost her husband this week to a suicide bomber- one of the five you probably read about. In this world, such things are not just headlines. In this world, they affect lives. And in this world, some things matter more... and some things matter less... and figuring out the difference isn't quite as hard...