Truths, Half-truths, and Sea Stories

Men do not make conversation of the sort that women tend toward.  Outside of the walls of a Chiefs Mess, or among men in my church small group,  men do not normally express emotion.  And in those settings, it mainly has to do with frustration or some mis-steps in leadership situations that an  older or more experienced Navy leader (or church leader, given the situation) can provide counsel.    But in the normal daily venues that men gather, in a workplace, at a football game, or in a social setting, I have never heard men discuss emotionally about relationships, weight gain or loss, or the onset of  ‘life changes’.    

Over card games and watching sports on TV, when men get together, it’s generally sarcastic comments about politics, or sports teams with a losing streak, or other testosterone-laden nonsense.   Occasionally, I happen to overhear stranger stuff.    Sometimes it tends to conspiratorial coverups or secret manipulation of information.  Today, one professed ‘knowledge’ of a missing commercial aircraft being currently “hidden” at a Government base.   Of course this was among fellow card players,  I presume to gain advantage in the game.

I’ve known this sort during my military career.  “Sea lawyers” routinely advised (though none ever sought his particular advice) on all sorts of matters relating to military conduct, (circumventing) regulations, marital (divorce and annulment) statutes and of course, tax matters (how to avoid paying them).  Were I to interject however,   it would  cause at best, irritation or at worst, a physical confrontation, with these codgers.

I am, as one of my recent acquaintances might say, not given scuttlebutt – gossip – that junior Navy men and women are prone.    In those days, particularly when our ship was to get underway in a matter of days, some destinations were kept secret from most of the crew to prevent barmaids and cab drivers from knowing our schedule.

Yet, even the dullest military member or contract employee, might find it unusual to discover a commercial aircraft, crew and passengers being sequestered at a government base.  Area 51 was a secret installation, but ask these card players,  the aliens actually did get jobs at the Post Office.  

While I don’t know a fig about what women think of aliens, or secret conspiracies or men playing cards, I do know that they are somewhat selective in the men they marry.    Perhaps that is why most of the conspiratorially-minded men I have encountered over my lifetime, remain single.