A long, long time ago, I lived in Wichita Falls, Texas. In this temporary home, I met my first of many friends, who happens to be a military wife. Brye, an Air Force spouse, taught me a lot about military life and some of that advice, I've taken with me and passed it along to other newbie wives and girlfriends (like I was at the time) in the last seven years.
One piece of advice that stuck with me was the term "mandatory fun." Mandatory Fun is an endearing joking term that encompasses those social events that are organized by your husband's workplace. It may a Friday night party to welcome new folks to a particular command or it's a Sunday afternoon baby shower for the wife of your husband's boss. Some are family-friendly picnics; some are babysitter-required dinners. Mandatory Fun is the social glue that seals military families together. I often wonder if Mandatory Fun happens in the civilian cooperate world. I would love to hear any insight on this one.
Officially Mandatory Fun activities are optional for the spouses, but if you want to spend time with your husband on the weekend, you find yourself there.
On May 19, I found myself at a Mandatory Fun event. It was the annual ball for the base here. It's an opportunity to reflect on military history and tradition. It's a time to introduce yourself to sailors who work with your husband and their spouses. It's a chance to get dressed up for an adult Navy prom.
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| Mandatory Ball Photo |
In the end, it was a good time with our new Navy friends. It just shows that mandatory fun can simply be fun.
5 comments:
Love your dress! You both look great! :)
Your dress is great! I think there is some level of "mandatory fun" for civilians with certain jobs. In my new line of work, my coworkers are always going to client events in evenings and on weekends where they take their spouses with them. Plus company barbecues and Christmas parties, etc. Maybe not organized to the same extent as in the military, but I think it's still there.
and you look so pretty (and handsome in Benny's case!). Mandatory isn't so bad; it's fun!
One of the oddest mandatory fun times I remember was a company bowling tournament in Waseca. Spouses were invited but could not win prizes if they too were not employed by EF Johnson Company. Michelle, guess what your mother-in-law thought of that when her score blew everyone away in the Company and she received no recognition!
I am so flattered by the shout-out. Really made me think, geez what other "advice" did I share?! BTW, great dress. Love the blog. Olivia is a doll.
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