Man ‘Bailing’ on Thanksgiving With Military Family Who Call Him Failure
A man on Reddit has decided to skip Thanksgiving with his family this year because they constantly harass him for not continuing with his career as a Marine.
The 28-year-old explained he comes from a family "where everyone joins the marines."
"Most of the males in my family join straight out of high school and make it their career and their entire personalities. I joined straight out of high school, did my time and did not re-enlist. Instead I went to school and got a good job in a hospital that supports my wife and I," he wrote via Reddit.
The man shared that he is "happy" with his life, however, whenever he sees his family they always mention how he "gave up on the military for an easy life."
"Since it’s November every Thanksgiving has to have a Marine birthday cake and leads to comments about me not acknowledging [that it's the] Marine[s'] birthday on Facebook? Just dumb stuff that doesn’t even matter. I have told them over and over that that is fine for my cousins but they are also deployed a lot and never see their families and I like coming home to my wife everyday," he continued.
The man's family also constantly compares him to his cousins who are still in the military, and they point out that his cousins have children while he does not.
"Sick of hearing" about what a "failure" he is, the man has decided that he won't be joining his family for Thanksgiving this year.
"I told my mom this year my wife and I are going to stay home and do our own Thanksgiving. She’s upset and calling me immature saying they are just kidding and I’m too sensitive but I’m sick of getting put down every holiday and family get-together for choosing a different life path [than] them," he concluded.
In the comments, Reddit users supported the man's decision to stay home and not put up with his family's ridicule.
"Military life isn’t for everyone. It’s hard. And it’s hard on families. Tell mom you aren’t the immature one. The rest of them are for being such giant a--holes. Enjoy Thanksgiving with your lovely wife," one person wrote.
"It's not 'kidding,' it's bullying. They're bullying you for choosing civilian life over the military. Working in a hospital is NOT an easy job," another commented.