A perfect example of the civvie world's treatment cited thus:
My wife likes going to the annual Christmas Bazaar at the Catholic school in Gettysburg, looking at the crafts and charity items on offer. As a husband should do (judiciously) I went along. This year the date happened to fall on the 11th.
I had run amusingly afoul of this condescending woman who holds forth at the charity items table last year, when I was a little darkly sarcastic in quiet conversation with Memsahib about some of the prices on items as "collectables". These things were the most egregious of kitsch, manufactured in the millions until that collectable golden goose died of pure greed like so many others, "Boyds Bears", Ty plushies, "Snow Babies", the list goes on.
So anyway, this woman must have been eavesdropping (of course) and, deciding that being male made me barely sentient, undertook to give me a detailed lecture on what "collectable" meant and how these things (whatever they were; I've quite forgotten) were important artefacts of great value, how women understood their enduring worth, &c. Just so very condescending and obviously not in possession of a sense of humour in the first place. Both of us have been making jokes about it for a year, and Herself wryly reminded me to keep mute about such things this year.
That story sets the stage for this year's experience. We were again overlooking the charity items and Memsahib noticed a row of "Ultimate Soldier" action figures. These are the size of and quite reminiscent of the 60s and 70s era GI Joe/Action Man toys, but done up in authentic uniforms and equipage for various famous units and timeperiods.
She noticed one that was done as a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne during WWII and was pointing it out to me in passing. Sure as hell, here comes the same woman from last year. My bride then made the tactical error of being polite and explaining to her the only reason she noticed them was the one of the 101st and how I had been in the 101st.
Then this person was convinced she had a sale and at her price, saying how she looked these things up on eBay and therefore the prices were not negotiable. This was quickly followed by the "Thank you for your service" platitude which was solely intended as nothing more than her figuring that would spring the trap and make the sale.
I never said a word, but it was clear that all platitude meant to her was a way to pry my wallet out. Quelle surprise!
That just further chipped away at the silly notion the civvie world appreciates my culture's "service" whatsoever and somehow it was worth doing for this country and its population. It is a supreme civilian arrogance that has them believe I did this "for them" or out of some chest-swelling patriotism. I did not. Indeed, I quite despise them as a whole and nationalistic pride is just an embarrassment.
I wish civilians would just shut up and leave me alone. They'd be better off.
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