If you have been reading my posts since I started this blog, you will have remembered not too long ago where I had to walk home twice in the rain with bags of stuff and no one bothered to give me a ride.Also just recently we ran out of water and people gave excuses why they couldn't take my husband 3 minutes away to go get some.
Well just the other day Robert told me something new. Okay, so this past Saturday he was working on the car. Well at that particular base there is no bank, it's on another small base about oh, I'd say 5 minutes away. He needed cash because he didn't have any. But first he needed a ride to the bank. So, as the car was draining it's fuel (it took like 3 hours, so he had some free time before he actually went to work on it), he went around and asked about 20 people if they would give him a lift to the bank and he would give them $20 for doing it.
Every single person said no. And these are Americans, our "brave men and women who fight for our freedom". One person offered him €10 but he couldn't take it because he needed American money.
This incident finally made Robert realize how rude and selfish people really are. And lazy!
Why can't a soldier help another soldier out?
Robert shouldn't even have to beg them with money, that's ridiculous in itself.
This is what the Army consists of.... men and women who can't help their fellow man because they are "too busy" or they "want to shop" or one of the other myriad of other excuses.
It's sad when you can't rely on anyone these days. This is why I am glad our car is fixed. If it breaks down again here, no one will help us out.
Rude! Just plain rude!
If someone ever needed a ride somewhere, we would give it to them. If a family needed some food or tolietries and we had them on hand, we would give what we had. In the past we have helped families pay their bills, put food on the table, and get the basic needs of children met. Why? Because we saw a need and was able to help fullfill it. We didn't ignore it hoping someone else would carry the load.
*sigh*
18 comments:
How sad for you. My memories of the military are quite different. An entire cadre of Marines showed for my father's funeral, flag team, marching band and all.
When moving, military neighbors always made casseroles and helped each other with the packing and unpacking.
The same is true of the local Army base even now. The families help each other. Mayhap you can be an example to others; often I have found that if I offer to help first, they return in like kind. Let us pray for them.
I'm sorry for what you and your dh has been thru.
My nephew is in the Army. Had he been there he would have offered you his car.
I have seen first hand how soldiers and there family come together to help each other. I'm just sorry not all are kind in your area.
Many Blessings
Rebecca
Oh I know...not all military bases are bad...they just have rude people is all. But are they all over here in Germany??? :)
Well praise the Lord anyhow! :)
I'm sorry that you are having such difficulties with the people on your base.
Hopefully they will see you and your DH's actions and will be inspired to help out more.
That is so very sad to hear. If I were there, I would have helped in a heart beat. I am so blessed to be in a town where neighbors help neighbors.
I am very sorry to hear of your experiences. We sadly had similar experiences in the military and these largely played into why my husband did not pursue his military career further. When our daughter was born five weeks early, not a soul offered so much as a meal. My poor husband wound up picking up groceries, preemie clothes, and other incidentals that were to have been purchased before her arrival the day we came home from the hospital. Nobody even brought in our garbage can while we were gone at the hospital, so we wound up being fined by housing :( At least she was born on pay day! :P This was especially discouraging as we always tried to get meals, housecleaning, lawn care, whatever to people who needed it and still did even after our bad experiences.
That's horrible that happened to you Mrs.. Bingham...just horrible.
People say the military is one big happy family...yeah right.
These things didn't happen to us in the States. I think it was because we had more friends and they were willing to help us if we needed it. There is something about Europe though that turns Americans into these monsters...I see it in the way they drive too, it's scary!
9 more months till we are outta here for good! (Lord willing that is)
I don't think that I would blame Europe. Other than on TV with how many Europeans do you interact? Do you have any German friends? From your posts it seems that you drive from one army base to the other; you seem to live in an American bubble in Germany. The problem seems to be the un Christian behaviour your army neighbours. Do you go to church on the base? If so surely these people are neighbourly.
I am really sorry for you, that your neighbours on the base are very unneighbourly!
But I agree with Victoria. I don't think that Europe or Germany are necessarily to blame for this behaviour. Being ex-pats should actually lead to the opposite behavior of what you are experiencing. I don't want to say that German neighbours would have helped - that would depend on your neighbours. I would have :).
Btw wouldn't it be fun to get together over the next nine months while you're still here? Darmstadt isn't that far away.
Hope your car won't break down again!
Look I am 100% American, alright. I wasn't born in Germany, didn't ask to come here. You would miss your home nation as well after being here for several years (as a Christian, a real Christian...not just using the word). Do you know what the Germans do in my town? Party, smoke and drink till the wee hours of the morning. Sorry, not my cup of tea. That's the younger generation..the older ones are in bed by 8 p.m.
I do have a few German friends at church but they work.
So, what would you like me to do?
No I do not go to to church on base. I found an American / German church off base that actually preaches the Word instead of entertaining people (that's what the church on base does).
Yes my husband and I go to other bases because there is actually something to do there! You have no idea what my little hole in the ground base is like, so to get out once a week to another American place is rather nice. To be able to see my friends at these other bases is a blessing as well.
I am not interested in the German culture, I am sorry. Thats me. Just like most Germans can care less that us Americans are here..
And yes, I have went shopping and sight seeing in other places in Germany besides military bases. I have seen castles, seen scenery, yadda yadda yadda...
Jeannine~
No, not all Germans are insane...LOL. Maybe it's just our community, because they seem to really dislike us Americans being here. I have met some rather helpful Germans in fact and I am glad they were able to help us when we needed it.
However, I don't know what's it's like by you, but there is some serious road rage over my way..LOL. I mean, it's bad. The German drivers get mad at each other and Americans and vice versa and there is always accidents in town...always! It's like...hello..just have some patience while driving...LOL. Good golly! :)
I have also been ignored and mocked by Germans..but ya know..that's typical in every country, know what I mean?
I would love to meet up one day! I went to Mapquest and I typed in Bonn Germany and Darmstadt and it said it's about an hour and 36 minutes away! That's nothing! That's about how long it takes us to go to Ramstein. ;)
I, too, pray the car doesn't break down again....at least till we get back to the States.. :) Having an American car here is quite an obstacle. And the 'mechanics' on base don't know what they are doing and rip people off...it's sad we have to travel 35 minutes just not to get ripped off and get the help we need...
Anyway, I gotta run...
God Bless!
Also the exchange rate between a dollar and euro is horrible! Just the other day I exchanged $40 and got €28! See it takes a good wad of euro to go and explore Germany and with my husband getting out of the military soon, we'd much rather save what we can and go on a road trip back in the States to see family and friends.
Dawn never said it was the Germans who were causing the issues. She stated that, from her observation (seeing as how SHE is there, I trust it) something happens to *Americans* in Europe. They get rude etc. She's talking about her fellow *Americans* in Germany.
By the way, I was stationed in Eruope and the Middle East while in the Military and I saw a lot of the same barbarian behavior of my fellow countrymen while abroad. It's infuriating AND humiliating. No wonder folk look down on America!!
It is frustrating to come up against people who are involved only in themselves. And that's what the Bible reminds us it will be like in "the last days". People who are "lovers of themselves"...
Don't let it get you down. They're lost people, in a lost world. Your attitudes are what count. Remember, what would Jesus do? What did He do, when confronted with people who spat on him, attempted to kill Him (before the actual event) and otherwise treated Him with disregard? He loved them.
I'm so sorry that you've been having a rough time. Especially from those people who claim that they can be counted upon. I get angry too. I get even more angry when I think of all the people who say they are my friends and then bale when the "going gets rough". That one really gets me! It makes it VERY hard to pray good things... lol
This lack of compassion can be really frustrating! Fortunately, *we* can be the ones to make a difference.
Amen Anna...amen ;)
I'm sorry to see you are having such a hard time in Germany. We had a wonderful time there ourselves, living off base. The exchange rate wasn't favorable but we made it work.
When your husband enlisted he must have known he might be told to serve overseas. As a wife you did have the option of staying in the US, the military didn't make you move. Many wifes stay behind to be near family, friends and churches. I always chose to go along for the adventure which sometimes was scary with the terrorist threats, especially with 2 small kids. I wouldn't change a thing. My husband retired after serving 20 years, most of which were served overseas.
This I understand. It seems like the same kinds of things happen to us. We often go out of our way to help others, but we rarely get that in return. I'm not sure why this is, however the Word does say that "ye reap what ye sow" so I try to continue doing good. Sure is hard sometimes.
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