The US military has started giving the families of servicemen life-size cardboard cutouts of the troops, called "Flat Daddy" and "Flat Mommy". This is, apparently, at the request of the troops' families.
From the Boston Globe:
[Kay] Judkins said the cutout has been a comfort since her husband was deployed in January.
"He goes everywhere with me. Every day he comes to work with me," said Judkins, who works in a dentist's office. "I just bought a new table from the Amish community, and he sits at the head of the table. Yes, he does."
You can just see the denial in her eyes as she says that. "Yes, he does." Judkins even takes the cutout to confession. I wonder what she thinks a cardboard cutout has to confess.
This, surely, is the behaviour of a woman who is already thinking of her husband as dead even while he is still alive. If she's this neurotic while he's merely away, how is she going to act if he actually does die?
Check out this picture of "Flat Daddy" Lt. Col. Randall Holbrook and his children, and tell me that these kids aren't disturbed by the whole thing. Keep in mind that this was surely the best, most flattering photo the photographer could take.
More here and commentary from BoingBoing here.
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