Fork in the Head Friday; The peace, love and great big dope edition

Yes, it's been much too long since I've done a Fork in the Head Friday, but it's back baby!

This Friday's Fork in the Head goes to The Boy's teacher I saw in the grocery store last night.
I was waiting in line at the deli counter with a few other customers. The Boy and The Girl had long since deserted me to wander through the store out of sheer boredom. There was a gentleman beside and slightly behind me - now to be known as George Costanza because that's who he resembled; short, stocky and balding - who was standing just a tad too close, but was otherwise minding his own business. A short time later, I could hear the kids returning from behind me when I heard George say, "The Boy! I haven't seen you in a while. How have you been?" I turned to see The Boy looking down, kind of shuffling his feet and mumbling something…
Ah, the typical "omg there's a teacher and my mom's going to talk to him and I'll die from embarrassment" behavior……

George and The Boy continued on with this 'conversation' for a couple more minutes, both of them taking the occasional glance at me. However, not one of them presented an actual introduction as to who this man was…The Boy I can forgive because he's 15. George? Well, I'm sure he felt awkward because I know that he didn't know who I was. I get that a lot.

I think I've given (but not positive) a physical description of The Boy before. Just in case I haven't, or for those that missed it, my son is huge. He's currently 6' - 2" tall and 190 lbs. Yes, he does play football and looks older then his age. I, on the other hand, am no where near either one of those measurements. Also, working against me (or for me, depending on the case), is the fact that I had The Boy when I was obscenely young. It is not all uncommon for people to think The Boy and I are siblings. We get that a lot, in fact. So I think part of George's lack of introduction came simply because he wasn't sure of my relationship to The Boy.

But I've completely digressed and this has really nothing to do with anything, especially nothing to do with why George now has a fork protruding from his head. This reminds me of that joke:
How many kids with Attention Deficit does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Want to go ride bikes?

[snort]

Okay seriously now…where was I?
Oh yes, so we finally got our order from the deli and proceeded to go through with the rest of our shopping. I quickly question The Boy who confirms that George is a teacher but an old one from Middle School a couple years ago. Within minutes, George was once again following behind us and starts again to talk to The Boy. George then asks the standard adult/teacher question, "So what are your plans after high school?"
The Boy: "I'm going to the Air Force."
George: "You don't want to do that."
The Boy: "Yes, I do." George: "At least wait until the war is over"
The Boy: [pondering whether or not he can throw The Girl at George, distracting him long enough to get away]
George: [looking at me] "You are not going to allow him to do that, are you?!?!"

Reminder: I have never seen this man before in my life and as far as he knows, I still have no fucking clue who he is. And this is the first time, in fact, he has ever actually spoken directly to me in my life. Got that? Okay…

Me: [being totally PC/nice because my children can hear me] "I will support my son no matter what he chooses to do"
George:
Well, George goes in to what would best be described as a tirade. It starts with comments about the senselessness of the war, continues on into a political rampage, digresses into how you can never really tell who 'the enemy' is anymore and ends abruptly when I ask The Boy to remove The Girl from the area because of George's vivid descriptions of trip wires that "cut the legs clean off of our men" and sends them all home badly maimed and he can't believe that anyone would want to join the Service.
Me: [smiling at George] Regardless of whether or not I agree with your points or who 'the enemy' is, The Boy will have my full support to do what he thinks is best.

And I quickly walked away to find, and hug, both The Boy and The Girl.

Now, if you know me at all, you know I do not discuss politics. Ever. I believe that is even in my profile. You will never know where I stand because, personally, not only do I think it is no one's fucking business, but I also don't see the point of "political discussions". Because, you know, they are never discussions. They are propaganda filled arguments on who is right and who is wrong and both sides do it ad-nausea until it digresses into nothing but name-calling and playground bullying. And don't you dare tell me 'We are just debating' or 'I don't do that' because you're lying. If you discuss politics, you've done it. Know how I know? Because if people could actually sit down and discuss their different beliefs in a reasonable and calm manner, there wouldn't be more then one political party. Do I vote? Yes. And if you really want to know, I’m registered as an Independent. Not really surprised, are you?

And here was George, invading my already limited time with my children with his political opinions. Did I agree or disagree with him? Doesn't matter. Do you know why? Because it didn't matter to him when he started to speak to me. I could have been all for what he was saying or simply stabbed him in the…well, you know…for being on the 'other side' for all he knew. And, there is the whole freedom of speech thing too, I have to take in to account. Good old George here has the right to say whatever he wants, just as I have the right to say what I want.

For me, I choose to say, your political opinions being whatever they are:
1) Don't ever talk about mutilation in front of my 4 year old.
2) Don't ever tell me what I should or should not allow my 15 year old to do with his life.
3) Do not ever say a negative word about the men and women who serve in our military. Regardless of anyone's thoughts on war, a veteran has saved your life…more then once…

Does fear fill every inch of my body when I think of The Boy in the military? Fucking right, it does. What am I? Stupid? No, I'm his mother. A mother who has watched her son grow into the kind of man who wants to do what he thinks is best. A man who would put his life on the line for his fellow man. "These things we do that others may live"….This, I have to allow….