The Air Force was great. I enjoyed my job, met a lot of interesting people, and learned a lot of interesting things (none of which are applicable to the real world, unfortunately). After four years, however, I decided not to make a career of it. I regret that decision now. I would have been retired at the age of 38 with full benefits. Oh well, keep moving forward, as they say.
The dispute with my mom will never really be over. The subject does still rear it's ugly head on occasion and we will both take our shots, but we can usually remain civil enough to drop it and move on. When I first 'came out' to her about my atheism (which is what you meant, I know), we argued on and off for weeks. Most of it was my fault, because I so desperately wanted validation from her (to psycho-babble myself) that I kept bringing it up. "Hey, Mom. How can you say God is love after the atrocities he visited upon his own people?" That would lead to another big argument. I was still fighting my way to actually understanding my own beliefs (or lack of them). The one thing that finally put it all to rest was when I told her that, as a Catholic, she was committing numerous sins according to the Bible. I told her that she did not worship "God", but Mary and a pantheon of demi-gods known collectively as 'The Saints'. Oh... and isn't a crucifix a graven image?
Since then, we try not to speak of such things for the sake of our relationship.
The dispute with my mom will never really be over. The subject does still rear it's ugly head on occasion and we will both take our shots, but we can usually remain civil enough to drop it and move on. When I first 'came out' to her about my atheism (which is what you meant, I know), we argued on and off for weeks. Most of it was my fault, because I so desperately wanted validation from her (to psycho-babble myself) that I kept bringing it up. "Hey, Mom. How can you say God is love after the atrocities he visited upon his own people?" That would lead to another big argument. I was still fighting my way to actually understanding my own beliefs (or lack of them). The one thing that finally put it all to rest was when I told her that, as a Catholic, she was committing numerous sins according to the Bible. I told her that she did not worship "God", but Mary and a pantheon of demi-gods known collectively as 'The Saints'. Oh... and isn't a crucifix a graven image?
Since then, we try not to speak of such things for the sake of our relationship.
