You know those obnoxious people who hold up their hand for a high-five then pull it back at the last minute? In elementary school I had a friend who thought this was the funniest practical joke out there. He’d proudly yell, “Psych!” or “Who’s a loser?” like this little stunt made him cool.
With age, these pranks become even less amusing.
Any spouse whose husband or wife has ever deployed is familiar with the absolute insanity induced by last-minute delays in a soldier’s homecoming. It’s maddening to have that metaphorical high-five hand pulled back just seconds before you get that rewarding slap.
Well, I’m feeling that in a whole new way today. Maybe some of you remember the good news I had last week about finally closing on the house we’re buying. The date and time were set. Plans were made. Then the hand was pulled back just an hour before our closing time and we were left slapping the air, waiting yet another six days before we can finally — hopefully — start cleaning up and moving in.
But a week is just a week, and it seems to be much easier to deal with than homecoming delays. Sure, we’re kind of homeless at the moment. But I think just about any military spouse would agree that having your soldier by your side can make just about anything easier to handle.
Of course, when that soldier is willing to run across town to get you a banana split with caramel syrup instead of pineapple, extra toppings and mountains of whipped cream that you can snack on while writing your column, that definitely helps, too.