I’d like to remind my fellow veterans that in the scope of human history, you are the NORMAL ones. It’s our bubble-wrapped modern society that is the oddball. Violence, injuries, and death are a norm in human existence. Even just a little over 100 years ago, seeing someone get run over by a horse, die in a farming accident or killed in a mineshaft was normal before reaching adulthood. Most people saw several. Brother’s went to war and simply never returned. On the American prairie, women fought with a baby on their hip when their husbands were out bringing in crops or trapping fur. You who answered the Nations call embody the true American spirit. The spirit of a warrior, a pioneer, one willing to endure hardships and build the future. Fighting and death are normal human experiences. You are normal. When the protected and insulted population looks at you sideways, keep that in mind. They are the ones lacking depth of normal human experience. What to do about it? Live your life to the fullest in honor of the ones who sacrificed to give you that opportunity. Don’t waste or dishonor that sacrifice. If you struggle with traumatic stress, reach out to those who can understand your very normal experiences. I still think half of the ones going down a dark road bought into the opinion the bubble-wrapped leaf-eaters pushed onto them. The leaf-eaters are the odd and broken ones; says all of human history. I’m no psychologist. That much should be obvious. I spent many hours chatting with the ones who worked at SERE though. I still think that field is just observation and guessing. The Psych’s I worked with generally agreed. Cortisol levels (stress) are very real and can ruin your decision making processes. Nutrition, sleep & exercise can turn that around. Willfully choosing to have a positive attitude and recognizing that you can’t time travel improve life massively. When life’s struggles become almost unbearable, simply making the next right choice, will take you far. It’s the same thing you did in a gunfight or while evaluating a casualty. You already have experience in this. Be good to each other and don’t be a stranger if you need someone to chat with. First responders, that goes for you too.