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Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner: The Quintessential Soldier Meets The Anti-War Crowd
Mercury in Aries vs Mercury in Libra (with Mars involved)
Regarding the soldier and his opportunity to speak freely, I’m here with the back story. Some months ago a friend of the soldier’s called him. A couple he was close to had a son who had decided he wanted to be a ranger and the request was that the soldier talk him out of it.
Now this put the soldier in a quandary. Turns out this young man’s parents were precisely, exactly the type that would not want their son anywhere near the military. He was a kid with options… education and so forth. He definitely need not choose to join the armed services and the parents knowing little about the military and being anti-war in general were flipped out to put it mildly.
Now whether the kid was rebelling or authentically driven is anyone’s guess but it put the soldier in a precarious position because while he cares very much for his friend, why would he talk a kid out of being a ranger?
For one thing, the soldier thinks soldiering is a (very) honorable thing to do. He also thinks it is a good start for any young man. He thinks the discipline learned will serve a man for the rest of his life; you can make a career of it or otherwise get a ticket to an education when you leave.
Being in shape is positive, being courageous is positive… you get the idea. So this is his perspective but you can see the other side just as readily. This couple has an 17-18 year old and they don’t want him to die. Hard to argue with that.
In whatever case there was no conversation at that time. The soldier did not talk to the boy and now we were going to meet his parents at this party.
“They are all against the war of any kind,” the soldier explained. “And for some reason they think I agree with them. Well I don’t agree with them and this will probably come up. If it does I am probably going to keep my mouth shut out of respect for (his friend). So if you see me doing that, you’ll know why and besides that I would appreciate it if you would talk to these people because while I would like to spend some time with (his friend) I am not sure there is anything I can say to anyone else without creating a ruckus.”
“Run interference?”
“Yeah, P. Run interference. Because if you ask me, your son going out to be a ranger is a cause to be proud.”
“Uh huh. Well I see both sides and will take care of it. I’ll talk to them. I’ll get on the table and start juggling stuff if I have to but one way or the other it’ll be okay because I’ve got these skills and will use them.”
14 Responses to “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner: The Quintessential Soldier Meets The Anti-War Crowd”
Oh man, yeah. My roommate is a Libra risng, and I have a crap load of Aries.
Whenever I run into something, she’ll negoiate for me. SOOOO useful.
Why would they think he is anti-war? Is it because he’s left military service? I’m scratching my head–you sure he doesn’t have Neptune on his midheaven too??? LOL.
Many people forget that military service was not only considered honourable but very normal for a very, very long time. It’s part of our collective history. I have my own opinions about war, but both sides of my parents’ family have long histories of military service (however in my mum’s case it permanently altered the fate of her family–different topic).
My South Node is in Aries…I was definitely a sharp shooter in a former life. Still pretty good in this one, though I only use them to impressive the dudes in my office with chucking crap in the garbage can from a zillion feet away.
Ooo, touchy situation. And confusing for me too, because while I do not happen to be pro-war this war, my time in the USAF was the best time of my life. I agree with the soldier that the military can be a good start for someone.
That is amazing that he could keep his mouth shut in this kind of situation because it engenders such strong feelings in people. That is a real asset he has there. That, and someone with Libra accompanying him everywhere, willing to run interference.
Trust me elsa, I was in the military for 40+ years without joining.( MI and SF) A real soldier will have an extremely hard time keeping his thoughts to himself so, whatever happens DONT bait him.
yeah, i can see both sides, too. my sd wanted to join the military when she was 18/19, and i was against it. i’d rather not see my children blown up. she also said she wanted to join the military to “roll around in the dirt and shoot guns.” yeah. sure. that’s what you’ll be doing all the time. :rolleyes:
we did ask some of our friends who have been in to talk to her about it, not to talk her out of it, but to give her an honest account of what it’s like. let her make informed decisions, not ones based on bad movies, you know?
she didn’t end up doing it. knowing how she ended up doing instead, i’m not sure which would have been better. it could have pushed her to grow up. of course, had she screwed up as much in the service as she did out of the service, she probably wouldn’t have been around too long, either.
This Aries/Libra polarity is such a huge part of my life. Sidney Omarr told me so, too. You know, in one of those “If today is your birthday” things. Anyway, I get it! But mostly I think I get it that the is a Taurus.
yeah, that’s a tricky one.
i remember grandma talking about the day her oldest son told her he’d enlisted. and sure, she’s proud of him, but the way her heart just stopped… well, he said he had a hard time figuring out what to write about from the field, because he didn’t want to scare her.
he also talked my dad out of it, for her. but he’d been through hell in vietnam, and that’s where my father would have gone, too. a very different war than my grandfather’s.
*shrug* so, yeah, that’s a tricky one. i personally think kids shouldn’t go in with their eyes glazed over with glory and rambo, but realize they’re signing up for something difficult. and psychologically demanding.
I have a roommate who is a Libra. I am anti war when I prefer peace of mind. If Libra cant stick to it. I am afraid we might turn out a nasty war.
That is a tricky one. I spent four years in the Army and wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. It was a VERY different time, though.
No matter the circumstances, no matter my feelings on our current wars, I’d be very uncomfortable if either of my step sons wanted to sign up. Do I think it could be a good experience for them? Yes. Would it scare the shit out of me? YES! Would I be proud of them? Absolutely.
At the same time, I think of the young people we lose every day to auto accidents, suicide, drugs…while I’d never want to lose either of them at all, I’d choose an honorable death over something like that. Ugh. Makes me weepy to even think about.
Parents mean well, but at some point they all have to learn that their children have to live their own lives and make their own choices.
True that, Marc.
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I’m from a poor, rural state in the South. Read between the lines and you get: we have one of the highest enlistment rates in the nation (and have historically had a high enlistment rate for decades). I have to agree with the Soldier here, having family in the military is something to be proud of.
And I can’t think of many men who don’t look good/better in uniform. 
(Let’s face it, though, a lot of the female uniforms are unflattering. I think it’s the hats.)
Of course there’s the risk of serious injury or death, but that’s a risk no matter what the situation is when you sign up; there are, after all, deaths during declared peace-time, too. The vast majority of those who enter into the armed services are enriched by the experience, learn a bit about themselves, understand what it means to lead and be led — all that feel-good shit they spout in the ads, yanno?
Good luck running interference, E!