Today I recalled a conversation I had with a new friend of mine. She was extremely excited because she was going out on a date and was telling me how she and her husband had scheduled a specific day and time for their special date. I was puzzled at the time set for it but as she continued, I learned that her husband was deployed. They had been able to keep in contact sporadically and made a "date" to get the family together for a web cam date. Ah, this I definitely understood a bit more.
After a few days passed and I asked how her date had gone. She told me she spent hours getting herself and her daughter ready, dressing up, make-up and all but the date never occurred. Apparently there was a problem with the connection so the date never happened. They tried the next day but a new problem came up. Finally, one day while she was cleaning the house, she got a call that the online date could happen that minute and she panicked. She wasn't dressed up, no make-up and a mess from the chores she was doing. On the other hand, she was finally going to see her husband so she tried to clean herself up as soon as possible before the web cams came on. Her date went well but it's not how she had planned it out.
I had to chuckle when she told me this because I've been in that situation before except I never really had a warning. It was more like,
" Hey, my connection is actually working! Request to view web cam has been sent."
" um.. What you mean now? Sure?"
On these days, I had usually just finished working out, was in the middle of cleaning house or something that didn't give me enough time to find that super cute outfit, brush my hair or spent time trying to doll myself up. The secret's out.. No, unfortunately during a deployment, we don't always look like we just left the spa with an amazing outfit. It actually takes a bit of time and effort, heh.
What I told her (and something that I learned myself!) is that when it comes right down to it, it doesn't matter what you wear. You can be in sweatpants or a dress but once you're finally able to see your spouse or significant other after x amount of time, all the worrying goes away. Once you hear read the words, "You look beautiful" it makes everything worthwhile, even when a certain Little Man decides that's the perfect time to do flips off the furniture.. sans clothing.. in plain view of the web cam .. while you try to explain that's not how he usually acts and yes, you do normally dress him.
Of course, in a perfect world we would get that advanced noticed, the kids would not have dirt all over themselves and internet connections would work perfectly.
Do you have online "dates" with your spouse? Have they always gone according to plan or had amusing results?
