Being Married to a Pilot

[roz]

LOL, that's what DH calls it too, especially since he "drives a Bus". I said that to our Clinical Director when she asked what he does. She took it literally. She didn't even stop to think when I replied to her question about where he goes with, "Well today he started out at LaGuardia, went to Fort Lauderdale, on to Nassau Bahamas and back to Fort Lauderdale."

PhD's are highly overrated!

[Flybird]

Too funny! We used to get that all the time and in the beginning I felt proud of him, now its just annoying. He hates all the questions too so when people ask what he does he just says he works for an airline and leaves it at that. THen again, when were meeting new people (cause we hardly get out) it can sometimes involve drinking and he doesnt want more people to think pilots are drunks!!

[Amanda]

Originally Posted by Tallgrl98

In response to the posts on questions pilots get asked, I would like to just post something I wrote a while ago about being married to a pilot:

I mean, it's more exciting to tell people that you are a lobotomist (is that the term?) than it is to tell them that you do what I do because I haven't figured out how to tell people what I do in an intriguing way that leads them to ask me more questions. I am thinking of telling people I am a "Lead Strategist in World Domination and Brain Washing" because I really think that raises questions. Questions like, "Wow, what kind of degree do you need for that?" (Marketing) "Will it always require a bloody coup in order for you to be promoted after a certain point?" (Yes, sadly, although I will try to minimize casualties) and the classic "So, um, like, do you get great tchotckes in that or what?" (Yes, plundering the universe does have it's perks)

Seriously, though, why did I have to marry someone who has a far more interesting job than me? Here's how it goes at all cocktail parties and any social interactions:

Host: Please meet Frank and Emily. Frank is a pilot and Emily is in advertising.
Guest: Wow, a pilot, really?
Frank: Yes, actually.
Guest: No kidding. Who do you fly for? What kind of plane? Where do you go? You are the most fascinating person I have ever met. Would you go home with me?
Frank: (Thinking long and hard and then remembering that I am standing there) I, uh, can't go home with you tonight because I have baggage, er, a wife. She's in advertising. (sigh)
Guest: Wife? What's her name? Is she here? (Looking around)
Frank: Yeah. She's right here.
Guest: Where?
Frank: Standing right here. Wave, Em.
ME: (Waving) Over here, me. Emily. I'm married to the pilot.
Guest: What is it like being married to a pilot? Are you worried about his dangerous job? Do you feel like you won the marital lottery finding a hot pilot husband? Do you know any of his friends?
ME: Um. Yeah. It's great.
Guest: You must love it. What is it you do again?
ME: Lead World Domination Strategist, actually.
Guest: That's nice. Is that like a bank or something? Frank, let's go back to talking about you.
Frank: Of course.

When I was trying to figure out my major, I really should have considered that I would have to talk about my career for the rest of my life. ::Sigh::

I had to find this post from a little while ago. Something similar happened to Nick and I recently when we went out with some work friends of mine who were visiting from AZ. The friends also brought some of their co-worker friends too. It was if Nick was famous or something! The friends of my friends (following that?) started the converstion with "So I hear you're a pilot! etc etc etc!". They were in awe of him!

Sorry it's just that I related to this so post so much!

[Kristie]

I get that quite a bit now that doug's international and all....I'm really proud of him, but I'm realizing this week (as i'm off on vacation trying to meet my own goals) that it kinda makes me jealous...mainly because i'm just not *as successful* as him and not hardly ever *in the limelight* kwim? That's something i'm working on.. i need my "fight" back so i can aim for my own goals and achieve them. I kinda lost that for a while...now, i have to find it again.

stay tuned to the "getting back to me" blog..i'm not done yet hahahahaha

[jr_lenz]

Well not only do I have the pilot husband, before he was a fly guy, he was a smoke jumper (thats when I met him)...yes he jumped out of planes to put out fires. So even if he gets them off the subject that he is a pilot it goes back to "what did you do before you became a pilot"..."well I jumped out of planes"....wife what wife, wife who is in charge of millions of dollars, who provides great progams of serving the underprivilaged. In fact when he did the HR porotion of the invterview whith skywest, when they found out he was a former jumper thats all they asked him about....maybe I should use it in my next interview. My son loves it, when it comes to the my dad is better than your dad playground fights Trady throws my dad is a pilot. Every once in a while he gets a "well my dad flys too"...he always has the "well my dad jumped out of planes and put out fires!" contest one hands down!

[skyrocketocelot]

I was talking with a psychiatrist yesterday and he said to ward off q's and referrals, he tells people he's a taxidermist... seems to work pretty well

[jr_lenz]

Originally Posted by Kristie

I get that quite a bit now that doug's international and all....I'm really proud of him, but I'm realizing this week (as i'm off on vacation trying to meet my own goals) that it kinda makes me jealous...mainly because i'm just not *as successful* as him and not hardly ever *in the limelight* kwim? That's something i'm working on.. i need my "fight" back so i can aim for my own goals and achieve them. I kinda lost that for a while...now, i have to find it again.

stay tuned to the "getting back to me" blog..i'm not done yet hahahahaha

Kristi, I don't know if this will make you feel more *successful*, but I am amazed at this website. You make it possible for all of us to connect and support each other. If we looked back at the generations before us, women spent alot of time togeter, quilting bee's, canning, church clubs. We don't do that so much any more and we are on our own alot (as women, and as pilot wives). I think that it takes a hugh amount of support from other women to make realationships work. Its so easy to think that the grass is greener on the otherside, but really we are all struggling. It sooo important that we encourage each, share with other, and vent on each other, so we can be that relationship that works. So please think of yourself as successful, you help provide us with life/realaionship saving support, and that is a lot.

[Tambralyn]

Originally Posted by jr_lenz

So please think of yourself as successful, you help provide us with life/relationship saving support, and that is a lot.

Hear, hear!!

[Kristie]

Originally Posted by jr_lenz

Kristi, I don't know if this will make you feel more *successful*, but I am amazed at this website. You make it possible for all of us to connect and support each other. If we looked back at the generations before us, women spent alot of time togeter, quilting bee's, canning, church clubs. We don't do that so much any more and we are on our own alot (as women, and as pilot wives). I think that it takes a hugh amount of support from other women to make realationships work. Its so easy to think that the grass is greener on the otherside, but really we are all struggling. It sooo important that we encourage each, share with other, and vent on each other, so we can be that relationship that works. So please think of yourself as successful, you help provide us with life/realaionship saving support, and that is a lot.

Thanks!

I never really think of the small things like that cuz most folks definition of success is being able to "make it big" or something of that nature.

but your right, i really should be looking at the small successes and remember that it takes time for things to grow which hopefully, some day this board will become just as successful as other boards, but even if it doesn't become as "big" as other boards, it is a success in itself. heck, i just created the thing.. it was you guys who joined up and keep helping the younger generation as well as us older chickies too.

but thanks, your words are wise and there are a lot of successes we just don't normally think we're successful at (if that makes sense). the trick is probably to see each completed milestone as a success.

[SeatClutcher]

I'm late getting to this thread, but I just had to say I LOVED that (original) post. Ha!