The Air Force Kid Update

Aaaaaghh! I should have details, but I am so grateful for what I do have that I’m posting it anyway. Have not heard from the AFK in ages, because he’s been doing missions—he warned me in advance that this would be the case, and in theory I should have been at least relatively calm, because he has so far been okay, even while doing missions.

But I’m a mom, and theory falls down hard in the face of reality a lot of the time, and I have been…worried. I’ll leave it at that, because my kind of worried does not just drive me crazy, but also the people around me, and, well…yes.

I have been worried.

So.

We went out to dinner at Ryan’s yesterday and then, because I wanted to see Ben Stein’s EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed, a documentary in which my personal interest was my distaste for the current trend to teach Darwinism as religion, we went to the movies. We have not been to an evening movie since the midnight showing of Transformers. This one was well worth seeing, but I still wish I’d had better timing in pushing to see it.

[ –DIGRESSION FROM THE AFK STORY– ]

I rate EXPELLED in two parts, first half, and second half, give the first half a C- for use of emotional manipulation and poor, poor presentation of the actual argument, and give the second half an A- for getting its head out of its ass and actually presenting the issue along with the consequences of the issue, while still unnecessarily defaulting to emotional manipulation when the arguments were strong enough to stand on their own two feet. I loved the moment when Richard Dawkins, evangelist of atheism, admitted that he could allow intelligent design if we wanted to posit that really, really smart aliens seeded the worlds with life…if THOSE aliens spontaneously generated. (Aliens, dude? Really? That’s the best you can come up with?)

For my money, the alteration of species over time via natural selection and punctuated equilibrium is well-documented in the fossil record, as well as through observable changes in species on the planet demonstrable in our lifetimes. The spontaneous generation of life from inert primordial soup has not been proven, and until humans can replicate it, claiming spontaneous generation of life as science without one shred of evidence is as ludicrous as claiming that God created the earth in seven days and all life on it in the last few. The instant you demand faith to explain what science cannot, and demand that all other possible explanations be ignored in favor of your faith-based one, you have a religion, whether you get all red-faced and stomp up and down and call it science or not.

[ –END DIGRESSION– ]

Anyway. While I was watching the movie, I missed two calls back at the house from the AFK. Two.

So I know that he’s okay, and not one damned thing more. But I know that he’s okay, and that’s huge. Not just for me, but for my guys, both of whom I have been driving crazy by worrying.

Added some hours later:

The Kid just got through. They got hit this time out, but everyone is okay. And his biological father—the molester (felony, convicted, plea-bargained down from MUCH worse charges)—is not doing well, and the Kid is having a hard time dealing with it. This particular issue is a lot more complicated than it sounds. But basically, when the molester dies, it is the death of hope. Hope that the molester will say he’s sorry for what he did, that he’ll take responsibility, that he’ll, even just for a day, be the father and human being he should have been instead of the lying, abusive creature he was. The death of hope is not an easy thing to face. Not for any of us.

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8 responses to “The Air Force Kid Update”

  1. firelight Avatar

    All the best to the AFK! I can’t imagine what you and your family must be going through at this time, but I’m praying for strength and safety for all of you. Take care.

  2. PJ Avatar

    I’m glad to hear AFK is all right.

    With regards to the bio-father: sometimes all you can do is remain steady and strong for those that need you; I know you will do that for him.

  3. Peter Knight Avatar

    I’m very glad that your AFK is unscathed, I don’t think we can really know how someone takes being in live combat, without having experience of it; nor for that matter, a mother’s worry. And awful that he and you have such an added problem.

    I’m intrigued by EXPELLED. Darwin as a religion? Nonsense has no limit. Something similar happened with Ayn Rand and her Objectivism: A perfectly sound philosophy that actually denies metaphysics becomes subject of a cult following. In some forum long ago (Before Internet, an actual forum) I proposed that they call that “Ayn Ranity”, so how about “Dawrwinity” for this new cult? Charles D. would be horrified, and Bishop Wilberforc pleased. Oh well.

  4. tambo Avatar

    I’m so glad he’s all right, and I completely understand the lingering crisis with his biological father. Yes indeedy. Your son’s a strong man, he will manage even though it won’t always be easy.

    Fwiw, sometimes I use the mantra – The bastard died but I’m still ALIVE.

    Crazily enough, it helps sometimes.

  5. Sue L Avatar

    What a terrible situation with the dirtbag. My heart goes out to all of you. I especially hate to think that his death would impact your family in a negative way.

  6. RMSolberg Avatar

    Been away for a bit and catching up with your latests happenings- so happy your AFK is ok and hanging tough. I appreciate him and all who fight and risk so much. (BTW thanks for sharing your impressions of EXPELLED been wanting to see that).

    Warm thoughts to your kids and you regarding your ex. Hopefully, some wisdom will prevail and he will find something within him that will allow clarity. I’ll hope that he can speak the words that could give some peace to those who need to hear them.

  7. PolarBear Avatar

    I never thought of it that way, but that makes sense. There’s a whole new hurt ripped open to be dealt with, and there’s already been too much. Hugs.

  8. TinaK Avatar

    Ahhh Holly – thank goodness he is okay. How scary for them and the family at home.

    I do understand what you mean about the death of the dirtbag being the death of hope. As long as he’s around he might wake up and realize, shit, I was an ass. It’s easier to have a dirtbag alive and unapologetic sometimes than to have the dirtbag dead and to know it never mattered.

    Hugs to you and your kid.

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