I'm back in college now. Crazy busy. Last semester my small town community college held a "veterans appreciation week" surrounding veterans day. It was cool. I was impressed as to how much they put into it.
During that week I had to meet with an academic advisor regarding the coming semester. The only time the advisor and I could get our schedules to agree was first thing one morning @ 7 am. They unlock the doors of the school @ 7am. Almost no one is there that early except our 2 campus police officers. At 7 sharp I walked into the building and took a seat in the small waiting room of the admissions dept. It has a glass wall adjacent to the main entrance area, which is where all the stuff for veteran appreciation was on display. There among other things they had several poster boards set up for students to sign, or write short notes of appreciation on for vets. As I sat in the waiting room looking through the glass wall I noticed a guy standing in front of one of the poster boards. He did have the former military look. I watched as he kinda glanced around, took some paper out of a note book and taped them to the poster board and quickly walked away.
After my meeting I went and read the paper he posted. There was no signature. I decided to photocopy it so I could reread it and consider it. So I copied it and reposted it on the board. In reading it one could come to many many conclusions. I happened to come back across it yesterday. I scanned it into my computer. If anyone cares to read it here, I'd be curious of your thoughts. I did see the guy once in a while. I struck up a conversation a few times, but He never seemed interested and would excuse himself. Ive not seen him this semester. Anyway, it's long, but if your interested:
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"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."
Dear Veteran,
I'm so sorry for the offense. They gave it a name & you a label:
"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."
Disorder. They say you have a disorder. Disorder? I am sorry. That is so beyond offensive!!
You have no disorder. You were altered. Merely altered.
Let’s say a women sees an incredibly nice and outrageously expensive dress at a steal of a price in a thrift store. And let’s say she knows that with alteration the dress will fit her perfectly. She buys the dress. She has it altered. It was once too big. Now it fits-perfectly.
Does the dress now have a disorder?
Previously it fit woman A. Then it was altered. Changed. Made different. Permanently. Now it fits woman B.
Do we now say the dress has a disorder?
Well despite what modern psychology says, NO the dress has no disorder.
It was only changed, period. It is now different. Nothing more. It is still a beautiful dress, of high value, still totally functioning, still perfectly serving it’s purpose. And with style! Regardless that it was made different…via alteration. Pre-alteration it fit woman A, perfectly. Post-alteration it fits woman B, perfectly.
Alteration. Not disorder.
Veteran, you used to be in human group A. The far larger group. You used to look at life like group A. Your frame of reference was like group A. You related to the world like group A. you had group A (limited) knowledge , experience and awareness. You were sheltered like group A. You got to be asleep at the wheel like group A. Your world was warm and fuzzy and sunny and safe, like the group A world. A bad day for you was ordering your hot dog without mustard, and receiving it with mustard. Man that sucks and truly, utterly screws up a group A day. If & when you let the lenses of your rose colored glasses get cloudy, the group A world can truly be bleak.
Then one day Lady Liberty & Uncle Sam had another meeting.
At the conclusion of the meeting it was decided they needed a few people to volunteer.
Volunteers to stand watch on the wall. And the next time the wolf was at the door, volunteers to take the fight to the enemy, every time with unconditional LOVE for every American being their drive, with professionalism, honor, courage, dedication, superiority and with the most epic of bad-assery the world has ever seen.
Lady Liberty & Uncle Sam said they needed some people to step up to the plate. You raised your hand and said: “I’ll help. I’ll go.”
Poof. Things started moving really fast. Next thing you knew you were at “camp” with a head shaved bald, your every personal possession on it’s way home in the mail and very fearsome, dominating people in your face screaming, literally spitting instructions at you on how to stand, walk, talk, act, think. Literally spitting instructions at you regarding every single thing possible that a few moments ago you were certain you had down pat. These fearsome, dominating and loud people. Then, those fearsome, dominating and loud people. Then more fearsome, dominating, screaming people.
Then again: POOF. Suddenly they tell you in an actual, normal conversational tone sans saliva that your now the finest members of the finest military in the world. Evidently enough saliva had soaked into your face. Then the absolute and total stunner- they shook your hand. And your off to your duty station.
The previous disturbed your group A sleep.
Next as you were getting used to the new you and your new way of life in a new place…poof, You were awakened, rudely. With break-neck speed you received an unwelcome education that would haunt you the rest of your days.
Doctor Luciferian Satanic Evil, PHD: Summa Cum Laud showed up. In your face. With the very deepest & darkest conceivable form of wickedness, with the most hideous devices, means and ways of doling evil beyond all comprehension. And He again had began killing and destroying innocence, real-time, now. As in currently. As in in-process & under way.
It wasn’t enough that you were awakened. It wasn’t enough that your rose colored glasses were torn from your face and shattered on the cement. It wasn’t enough that you were now, irrevocable forever aware. No that wasn’t enough- suddenly the duty of looking absolute, pure Evil right in the teeth and responding was your job. It was up to you to stand the gap. Right here. Right now. The responsibility squarely upon your shoulders. And it demands you to give your greatest, best, most intense effort you can dig out of all the gravel in your gut. And possibly, if not likely your life. Far worse than that, likely it will be required of you to watch the brother on your left or the sister on your right give their life.
So to the absolute best of your ability, and they to the best of their ability- and beyond, took the fight to the enemy. With LOVE for every American the fuel, with professionalism, honor, courage, dedication, superiority and with the most epic of bad-assery the world has ever seen- your team took the fight to the enemy. And won. At a cost.
Then you were one of the “lucky” ones. You came home. Well the bulk of you got to come back home. It appears that you returned home, whole, to your friends and family anyway.
And after a while they tell you you ended up with a “disorder”.
Now you are awake. Now your aware. Now you are learned. Now you have awareness of, knowledge of, and direct experience and interaction with that which “they” will never know. Thank God in Heaven for that.
Now you are forever in human group B. The small group. Because you have been altered. You have no disorder. The state your now in is simply “Post-Alteration.”
You now have a different frame of reference you apply to the world. You know see the world in it’s true full spectrum of colors. You know are aware of the other side of the coin, the other half of the world that is in operation, unfortunately, every day. In fact, you now live in a very real, all together different world all together. Your rose colored glasses where taken from you and broken. The only ones you had. You no longer have the privilege of being asleep at the wheel. You no longer have the benefit of being ignorant, the benefit of not knowing. You’ll never again go to & fro about your day with utterly no situational awareness. Your simply no longer able. So, you have a disorder? Not even close.
You were merely altered.
In a certain time and place you were, in an instant altered. Made different.You were changed. You used to be human group A, living in world A.
You used to be size large and you used to fit the large group. Perfectly.
Then you were altered. No more, no less. And there is nothing wrong with that. At all.
Now…your size extra small, thats all. You now fit human group B. The tiny group. The different group. The ones that have stood watch upon the wall. The ones that halted and ended the wolf when it was growling, snarling and clawing at the door. Your were only altered. Your now size extra small. And you fit perfectly. And your still of maximum value. Your still of maximum worth. Your still totally functional. Your still totally wanted, and your certainly needed, And more than words have the validity to express: Your appreciated more than you know.
But more than anything, know that you are not broken. Know that you, in fact, have no disorder.
You were merely altered.
And you fit perfectly.
And I salute you.
During that week I had to meet with an academic advisor regarding the coming semester. The only time the advisor and I could get our schedules to agree was first thing one morning @ 7 am. They unlock the doors of the school @ 7am. Almost no one is there that early except our 2 campus police officers. At 7 sharp I walked into the building and took a seat in the small waiting room of the admissions dept. It has a glass wall adjacent to the main entrance area, which is where all the stuff for veteran appreciation was on display. There among other things they had several poster boards set up for students to sign, or write short notes of appreciation on for vets. As I sat in the waiting room looking through the glass wall I noticed a guy standing in front of one of the poster boards. He did have the former military look. I watched as he kinda glanced around, took some paper out of a note book and taped them to the poster board and quickly walked away.
After my meeting I went and read the paper he posted. There was no signature. I decided to photocopy it so I could reread it and consider it. So I copied it and reposted it on the board. In reading it one could come to many many conclusions. I happened to come back across it yesterday. I scanned it into my computer. If anyone cares to read it here, I'd be curious of your thoughts. I did see the guy once in a while. I struck up a conversation a few times, but He never seemed interested and would excuse himself. Ive not seen him this semester. Anyway, it's long, but if your interested:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."
Dear Veteran,
I'm so sorry for the offense. They gave it a name & you a label:
"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."
Disorder. They say you have a disorder. Disorder? I am sorry. That is so beyond offensive!!
You have no disorder. You were altered. Merely altered.
Let’s say a women sees an incredibly nice and outrageously expensive dress at a steal of a price in a thrift store. And let’s say she knows that with alteration the dress will fit her perfectly. She buys the dress. She has it altered. It was once too big. Now it fits-perfectly.
Does the dress now have a disorder?
Previously it fit woman A. Then it was altered. Changed. Made different. Permanently. Now it fits woman B.
Do we now say the dress has a disorder?
Well despite what modern psychology says, NO the dress has no disorder.
It was only changed, period. It is now different. Nothing more. It is still a beautiful dress, of high value, still totally functioning, still perfectly serving it’s purpose. And with style! Regardless that it was made different…via alteration. Pre-alteration it fit woman A, perfectly. Post-alteration it fits woman B, perfectly.
Alteration. Not disorder.
Veteran, you used to be in human group A. The far larger group. You used to look at life like group A. Your frame of reference was like group A. You related to the world like group A. you had group A (limited) knowledge , experience and awareness. You were sheltered like group A. You got to be asleep at the wheel like group A. Your world was warm and fuzzy and sunny and safe, like the group A world. A bad day for you was ordering your hot dog without mustard, and receiving it with mustard. Man that sucks and truly, utterly screws up a group A day. If & when you let the lenses of your rose colored glasses get cloudy, the group A world can truly be bleak.
Then one day Lady Liberty & Uncle Sam had another meeting.
At the conclusion of the meeting it was decided they needed a few people to volunteer.
Volunteers to stand watch on the wall. And the next time the wolf was at the door, volunteers to take the fight to the enemy, every time with unconditional LOVE for every American being their drive, with professionalism, honor, courage, dedication, superiority and with the most epic of bad-assery the world has ever seen.
Lady Liberty & Uncle Sam said they needed some people to step up to the plate. You raised your hand and said: “I’ll help. I’ll go.”
Poof. Things started moving really fast. Next thing you knew you were at “camp” with a head shaved bald, your every personal possession on it’s way home in the mail and very fearsome, dominating people in your face screaming, literally spitting instructions at you on how to stand, walk, talk, act, think. Literally spitting instructions at you regarding every single thing possible that a few moments ago you were certain you had down pat. These fearsome, dominating and loud people. Then, those fearsome, dominating and loud people. Then more fearsome, dominating, screaming people.
Then again: POOF. Suddenly they tell you in an actual, normal conversational tone sans saliva that your now the finest members of the finest military in the world. Evidently enough saliva had soaked into your face. Then the absolute and total stunner- they shook your hand. And your off to your duty station.
The previous disturbed your group A sleep.
Next as you were getting used to the new you and your new way of life in a new place…poof, You were awakened, rudely. With break-neck speed you received an unwelcome education that would haunt you the rest of your days.
Doctor Luciferian Satanic Evil, PHD: Summa Cum Laud showed up. In your face. With the very deepest & darkest conceivable form of wickedness, with the most hideous devices, means and ways of doling evil beyond all comprehension. And He again had began killing and destroying innocence, real-time, now. As in currently. As in in-process & under way.
It wasn’t enough that you were awakened. It wasn’t enough that your rose colored glasses were torn from your face and shattered on the cement. It wasn’t enough that you were now, irrevocable forever aware. No that wasn’t enough- suddenly the duty of looking absolute, pure Evil right in the teeth and responding was your job. It was up to you to stand the gap. Right here. Right now. The responsibility squarely upon your shoulders. And it demands you to give your greatest, best, most intense effort you can dig out of all the gravel in your gut. And possibly, if not likely your life. Far worse than that, likely it will be required of you to watch the brother on your left or the sister on your right give their life.
So to the absolute best of your ability, and they to the best of their ability- and beyond, took the fight to the enemy. With LOVE for every American the fuel, with professionalism, honor, courage, dedication, superiority and with the most epic of bad-assery the world has ever seen- your team took the fight to the enemy. And won. At a cost.
Then you were one of the “lucky” ones. You came home. Well the bulk of you got to come back home. It appears that you returned home, whole, to your friends and family anyway.
And after a while they tell you you ended up with a “disorder”.
Now you are awake. Now your aware. Now you are learned. Now you have awareness of, knowledge of, and direct experience and interaction with that which “they” will never know. Thank God in Heaven for that.
Now you are forever in human group B. The small group. Because you have been altered. You have no disorder. The state your now in is simply “Post-Alteration.”
You now have a different frame of reference you apply to the world. You know see the world in it’s true full spectrum of colors. You know are aware of the other side of the coin, the other half of the world that is in operation, unfortunately, every day. In fact, you now live in a very real, all together different world all together. Your rose colored glasses where taken from you and broken. The only ones you had. You no longer have the privilege of being asleep at the wheel. You no longer have the benefit of being ignorant, the benefit of not knowing. You’ll never again go to & fro about your day with utterly no situational awareness. Your simply no longer able. So, you have a disorder? Not even close.
You were merely altered.
In a certain time and place you were, in an instant altered. Made different.You were changed. You used to be human group A, living in world A.
You used to be size large and you used to fit the large group. Perfectly.
Then you were altered. No more, no less. And there is nothing wrong with that. At all.
Now…your size extra small, thats all. You now fit human group B. The tiny group. The different group. The ones that have stood watch upon the wall. The ones that halted and ended the wolf when it was growling, snarling and clawing at the door. Your were only altered. Your now size extra small. And you fit perfectly. And your still of maximum value. Your still of maximum worth. Your still totally functional. Your still totally wanted, and your certainly needed, And more than words have the validity to express: Your appreciated more than you know.
But more than anything, know that you are not broken. Know that you, in fact, have no disorder.
You were merely altered.
And you fit perfectly.
And I salute you.
