Page 883 - Total War on PTSD

“You can tell by the kindness of a dog how a human should be.” - Captain Beefheart
Courtenay: There has been more than one occasion when I have seen an emergency door on the top floor of a building, such as the local VA, and thought about going out that door to stand on the ledge...and decide what to do next. My thoughts tell me it would be so easy if I didn’t stop to think but those thoughts go to my husband, and my family, and my mind steps back from ‘the ledge’. Please know this is something I never would have done...it is just somewhere my brain momentarily ‘went’.
I recall doing multiple weapons qualifications throughout my years in the Navy...actually I lost count of how many times I did them. I look at my left arm at a burn scar from a bullet casing and recall one weapon's qualification session that took place inside a trailer. Having always shot on open ranges, I thought this was a really dumb way to qualify...but necessity required it regardless.
There were four 'lanes' open to shoot M16's and I was unfortunately stuck in the last lane on the right. This meant the spent casings from the lane to my left were going to end up over in my lane, and quite a few did...and I ended up getting several burns because of this. During quals., when casings landed too close, I shoved them aside with my left elbow or forearm so they didn't remain pressed against my skin.
Joshua and Nicholas have a wonderful relationship and, much like my former Great Dane Odie, Nicholas likes sitting on Joshua the exact same way Odie used to.
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