‘Cause I might know you a little better than you think
Let it be known that I did not serve a full-time mission. I am sorry that it doesn’t seem right to those that ask. Actually now that I think about it, they never ask IF I served, they always ask WHERE I served. Maybe that is why they give me that look. Oh you know the look. It is the look that within two seconds changes from embarrassment to startled to confusion to disbelief to wondering why not (quickly calculating what sin(s) might have been committed). The word that almost always comes out of their mouth next . . . “Oh.” I have actually been accused before of lying and that I must have served. You’re right, I did, must have just slipped my mind, silly me. Nope. Why would I have any reason to lie about it? Frankly I don’t know why it is so disconcerting for others that I didn’t serve.
This is where they inevitably start making really stupid comments. I could write pages and pages of them, but I will only give you a taste of what I get to hear.
“Oh. Well I figured because you are still single . . . . ” Just because I wasn’t married doesn’t mean that it was right for me at any point between the ages of 21-now to go on a mission.
“Oh. You know so much about the gospel that I assumed . . . . ” News flash, there are other ways to learn the gospel other than going on a mission and in reality you should know the gospel BEFORE you serve a mission.
“Oh. Why not?”
“Oh. You should have.”
“Oh. But you have been through the temple.” I know. Can you believe it? They actually let me in the temple even though I wasn’t getting married and wasn’t going on a mission! Don’t tell them though because they still don’t realize their mistake and they continue to let me in.
I want to eventually serve a mission or two and I am grateful for those that have served missions, but I don’t think that just because XYZ is the case that automatically means that someone did or should serve a mission or they are going to hell or that they can’t be equally as worthy (or knowledgeable or faithful or . . . ) as the person that did serve a mission. Even those of us that didn’t serve a mission and aren’t married can be just as valuable members as those that have and are. Shocking I know.
Let it be known that I did not serve a full-time mission. I am sorry that it doesn’t seem right to those that ask. Actually now that I think about it, they never ask IF I served, they always ask WHERE I served. Maybe that is why they give me that look. Oh you know the look. It is the look that within two seconds changes from embarrassment to startled to confusion to disbelief to wondering why not (quickly calculating what sin(s) might have been committed). The word that almost always comes out of their mouth next . . . “Oh.” I have actually been accused before of lying and that I must have served. You’re right, I did, must have just slipped my mind, silly me. Nope. Why would I have any reason to lie about it? Frankly I don’t know why it is so disconcerting for others that I didn’t serve.
This is where they inevitably start making really stupid comments. I could write pages and pages of them, but I will only give you a taste of what I get to hear.
“Oh. Well I figured because you are still single . . . . ” Just because I wasn’t married doesn’t mean that it was right for me at any point between the ages of 21-now to go on a mission.
“Oh. You know so much about the gospel that I assumed . . . . ” News flash, there are other ways to learn the gospel other than going on a mission and in reality you should know the gospel BEFORE you serve a mission.
“Oh. Why not?”
“Oh. You should have.”
“Oh. But you have been through the temple.” I know. Can you believe it? They actually let me in the temple even though I wasn’t getting married and wasn’t going on a mission! Don’t tell them though because they still don’t realize their mistake and they continue to let me in.
I want to eventually serve a mission or two and I am grateful for those that have served missions, but I don’t think that just because XYZ is the case that automatically means that someone did or should serve a mission or they are going to hell or that they can’t be equally as worthy (or knowledgeable or faithful or . . . ) as the person that did serve a mission. Even those of us that didn’t serve a mission and aren’t married can be just as valuable members as those that have and are. Shocking I know.
posted by B at
4:06 PM
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