8/4/09

Lesbian Without Lunch


In this daily closeted journey, there are good and bad days. Sometimes Jo is home for a long weekend, other nights I'm all alone. That is the life of the military and I'm slowly getting comfortable with the role of Navy 'wife' (not that anything is official.) Today is a bad, well more disappointing. I'm almost embarrassed to admit it, but here goes.

I've taken on the role of housewife and my afternoons in the kitchen have come to feel therapeutic. Picking up Gourmet magazine and watching Giada at Home, I've learned the basics and stolen some great recipes. If I do say so myself, I'm getting pretty good. Yesterday, I even baked muffins.

I love this new role and take pride in my daily creations (both on the page and in our bellies.) Each evening after the kitchen is cleaned and dishwasher started, I prepare Jo's lunch for the next day. Call me old-fashioned but I enjoy caring for her after a long day. She spent the day working hard in uniform, the least I can do is prepare a nutritious, delicious mid-day meal. I alternate between packing her blue lunchbox and my black and white plaid lunchbag.

I digress. Back to bad days....

This morning I opened the refrigerator to see this afternoon's lunch sitting where I had placed it last night. I immediately got excited; I can bring it to her at lunchtime and we can spend the extra thirty minutes together. That feeling sunk; we are in the Navy. I do not exist and even acting as a roommate, I could never get on base.

It seems insignificant to most of you, I'm sure. Particularly, if you are straight. The thing is it's another one those moments when I am forced to remember that we're not like everybody else. According to the military of this country, the healthy, happy relationship that Jo and I have only exists behind the gates of our apartment community.

Jo will just have to get something from the cafeteria. And I will go back into therapy, perhaps today with Paula Deen.