A powerful piece, Terry, thank you for sharing this. The way you list out the catalog of (seemingly innocuous) things that trigger you is particularly visceral. I hope you are now further along with how you handle the triggers.
Thank you, Fanen. I’m glad to hear you found the piece powerful. Thankfully, I tackled many of those triggers before I wrote it. Re-reading it now reminded me of my progress. Thanks. :)
It must've been a nightmare to track the invasion step by step and not have any means to do anything about it. To witness something unjust...taking up space in your mind... and have no power over it... Just the feeling of powerlessness pressing down on one's self... and how that feeling in repetition can even restructure the brain.
Yes, absolutely, there are American casualties of the war in Ukraine. The woundedness is neither visible nor from any kinetic source. Yes our picturing of the wounded warrior needs updating. May you continue to find agency in your own struggles via your writing.
Also, resiliency is key, inside and outside military life. I chuckled at your line that some of that training was actually worth our time.
Looking forward to hearing more about the empathy tank. You're definitely on to something there and I like the visualization. I truly appreciate and understand the connection between the missile alerts and the stuffing of empathy... Peace.
Thank you for your kind words. Hearing I managed to end the article with something uplifting is quality feedback. 8^)
Also, your assessments are spot on. When you mentioned restructuring the brain, that actually fit a pretty clear picture I've painted here with the messy LAN wires (/shudder) or the 1950's telephone switchboard. Looking at it now, those images may be physically accurate in some neurochemical sense. ??
Thanks again for your encouragement, and for adding your insight to our conversation. :)
A powerful piece, Terry, thank you for sharing this. The way you list out the catalog of (seemingly innocuous) things that trigger you is particularly visceral. I hope you are now further along with how you handle the triggers.
Thank you, Fanen. I’m glad to hear you found the piece powerful. Thankfully, I tackled many of those triggers before I wrote it. Re-reading it now reminded me of my progress. Thanks. :)
Great to hear! I’m still on the journey of reckoning with mine 😆
It must've been a nightmare to track the invasion step by step and not have any means to do anything about it. To witness something unjust...taking up space in your mind... and have no power over it... Just the feeling of powerlessness pressing down on one's self... and how that feeling in repetition can even restructure the brain.
Yes, absolutely, there are American casualties of the war in Ukraine. The woundedness is neither visible nor from any kinetic source. Yes our picturing of the wounded warrior needs updating. May you continue to find agency in your own struggles via your writing.
Also, resiliency is key, inside and outside military life. I chuckled at your line that some of that training was actually worth our time.
Looking forward to hearing more about the empathy tank. You're definitely on to something there and I like the visualization. I truly appreciate and understand the connection between the missile alerts and the stuffing of empathy... Peace.
Thank you for your kind words. Hearing I managed to end the article with something uplifting is quality feedback. 8^)
Also, your assessments are spot on. When you mentioned restructuring the brain, that actually fit a pretty clear picture I've painted here with the messy LAN wires (/shudder) or the 1950's telephone switchboard. Looking at it now, those images may be physically accurate in some neurochemical sense. ??
Thanks again for your encouragement, and for adding your insight to our conversation. :)