Folks, Today I cried like a baby.....

[bill from lachine]

Folks,

Those of you who have followed my posts have seen me play various roles, joker, rational, etc....

Well today I was a cream puff and I'm not ashamed to admit it.....

Usually on Mondays I visit an inner city pub....shoot a bit of pool and have a few laughs with my cronies.

Well today a gal came in and I exchanged a few words with her and it turns out she's Canadian military and had just returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan and her job is to escort her fallen brothers and sisters back from the front.

I gave her a hug that I thought would break her back and thanked her from the bottom of my heart for her service.....and then the floodgates opened and I cried like a baby.....I completely
lost it.....I can't thank our vets enough for their service and my heart goes out to all of them.

Regards + HH

Bill

 

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[Rebel - KGC]

Folks,

Those of you who have followed my posts have seen me play various roles, joker, rational, etc....

Well today I was a cream puff and I'm not ashamed to admit it.....

Usually on Mondays I visit an inner city pub....shoot a bit of pool and have a few laughs with my cronies.

Well today a gal came in and I exchanged a few words with her and it turns out she's Canadian military and had just returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan and her job is to escort her fallen brothers and sisters back from the front.

I gave her a hug that I thought would break her back and thanked her from the bottom of my heart for her service.....and then the floodgates opened and I cried like a baby.....I completely
lost it.....I can't thank our vets enough for their service and my heart goes out to all of them.

Regards + HH

Bill

NOTHING to be ashamed of... it came from your heart; GOOD for YOU!

 

[releventchair]

 

[bill from lachine]

Folks,

Certainly not embarrassed to share this experience with you......it just pulled so hard at my heart strings I thought it was worth sharing with you.

Regards + HH

Bill

 

[bill from lachine]

Rebel,

As best as I can tell you work with returning vets...how do you manage to keep your emotions in check when dealing with situations like this

Feel free to answer via pm if you don't wish to share on the open forum.

Regards + HH

Bill

NOTHING to be ashamed of... it came from your heart; GOOD for YOU!

 

[Red James Cash]

See bill,look what that Canadian whiskey does to you.

 

[bill from lachine]

Red,

Not the whiskey.....just my deep respect for our troops both past and present.....they deserve our deepest respect.....without question....enough said.

Regards + HH

Bill

See bill,look what that Canadian whiskey does to you.

 

[Red James Cash]

Just bringing a little levity into it bill,I knew all along where you were coming from.

 

[Rebel - KGC]

Rebel,

As best as I can tell you work with returning vets...how do you manage to keep your emotions in check when dealing with situations like this

Feel free to answer via pm if you don't wish to share on the open forum.

Regards + HH

Bill

Trainings as Psychologist, Counselor; Buddhist "Way of Life" Detachment; having a cousin KIA in South Viet Nam, July 1968 didn't help... BUT! MY work (& wife's work) is in HONOR/MEMORY of him... SO! Wife was Trauma Specialist (Certificate), years ago... PLUS, we have PERSONAL experience with Trauma & "After-maths"; she had/has VICARIOUS Trauma "after-maths" (memories, emotions, etc). What ALL Vets & families "go though".
Am pleased to share on "Open forum"... ppl NEED to know.

 

[Rebel - KGC]

Career with Va. Dept. of Rehab. Center as Senior Peer Counselor @ WWRC (Prior to that... Job Placement Counselor, Harrisonburg "Field Office") prepared me for working with Vets with various disabilities (and their families). THEY have ACQUIRED disabilities (happened to once "normal" ppl), such as IED/Traumatic Brain Injury; minus hand(s), arm(s), leg(s); mental/emotional disabilities; PTSD; "Incomplete" Suicides. I have a DEVELOPMENTAL Disability (from birth) of being half-Deaf; why I LOVE the "printed page"; read lips, and am a VERY "active" Listener... LOL! Now, I also have an ACQUIRED Disability of TBI (civilian PATRIOT). As Counselor/PATRIOT, greet Vets (& families) coming home with other Vets/Patriots at local air port. When "Working" with Vets (& families), we go through the stages similar to Dr. E. Kubler-Ross' stages of dying... Shock, Denial, "Numbing", Anger, Depression, Anger, Acceptance. I do "ACTIVE LISTENING" which WE ALL can learn to do.

 

[Rebel - KGC]

Then I do R & I (Research & Investigation) & refer Vets/families to appropriate resources. Wife & I have PERSONAL experiences shared with Vets/families re TBI & DEAFNESS; I even know some Sign language. I refer Vets/families to local DAV (Disabled American Veterans); sources for Vets to continue fishing/shooting/hunting from a wheelchair; local Ski Resort (Winter Green) has WONDERFUL "Para"Snow Sports, such as para-skiing, para-tubing, etc. in Charllottesville, I practiced with Ch'ville Cardinals... Wheelchair Basketball Team; you shoulda seen them play UVA, when Ralph Sampson was there, in a wheelchair... his LONG legs, don't know how he could SEE! ANYWAY, he was so frustrated, he jumped out of that wheelchair & DUNKED the basketball... THE CROWD WENT WILD!
"Follow-up" for vets/families is/are "as needed"... n/c.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Folks,

Those of you who have followed my posts have seen me play various roles, joker, rational, etc....

Well today I was a cream puff and I'm not ashamed to admit it.....

Usually on Mondays I visit an inner city pub....shoot a bit of pool and have a few laughs with my cronies.

Well today a gal came in and I exchanged a few words with her and it turns out she's Canadian military and had just returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan and her job is to escort her fallen brothers and sisters back from the front.

I gave her a hug that I thought would break her back and thanked her from the bottom of my heart for her service.....and then the floodgates opened and I cried like a baby.....I completely
lost it.....I can't thank our vets enough for their service and my heart goes out to all of them.

Regards + HH

Bill

Good on ya Bill! Every one of your tears was dedicated to the strength and honor of every veteran that has ever served his or her Country. Each tear a tribute to the sacrifice, pain and suffering every vet and their families has endured. Don't ever be troubled by showing or feeling your emotions with a veteran. We get it.

 

[bill from lachine]

Red,

This is one of the very few topics I completely refuse to treat with levity......our troops deserve much more respect than that....enough said.

See bill,look what that Canadian whiskey does to you.

 

[releventchair]

Beacoup du monde est avec vous Bill. Ca vous fait pour du vets est tres bien. Je regarde il sommes je suis tout les temp dit merci pour votre service.
Tu est ca va avec moi!

 

[bill from lachine]

Terry,

You sir are a gentleman and I'm proud to consider you a friend....my avatar pretty much says it all....one of my favorite
detecting finds...USAF WW11 wings.

Regards + HH

Bill

 

[hvacker]

Big crybaby... Well you can come join the rest of us.

 

[bill from lachine]

hvacker,

I've been a street fighter my entire life....it takes a lot for me to lose it...but I'd do it again in a heart beat.

Regards + HH

Bill

 

[bill from lachine]

Folks,

I was trying to find a song that would be a worthy tribute to our fallen brothers and sisters....I hope this one does them justice.

 

[Crispin]

Bill,

Sharing the suffering of others is called empathy. It is easy for people to sympathize; however, when we empathize we give a bit of ourselves and share that person's pain and burden. In doing so it can lighten the load of the sufferer. You are a good man.

I have many nights when I am overburdened with sadness. I cannot break down in front of my patients...they look to me as a source of strength and hope. That does not mean I have not broken down. I think every professional that works with these populations learns to dissociate at some level in order to survive and continue to treat. I started metal detecting on a whim after a horrendous week at work. I was looking for a distraction. When I get overwhelmed and tearful my wife kicks me out the door and sends me to the beach.

Congratulations, you passed the test, you will die a good man,

Crispin