My sincerest apologies for a missing blog post on Wednesday. Turns out, the ol Mac had a little bug…and I spent some time getting the issue resolved (and spent a little cash in the process). All is well now, and Mac and I have had a serious talk about getting caught up on our blog, some school work, and a conference presentation.
When Veterans help other veterans, I see brothers and sisters uniting to help–whether that’s over a cup of coffee, a text, phone call, email, or even reaching out to get a battle buddy or another veteran involved in a support group, I can’t help but get a little emotional about seeing veterans working together.
As the wife of a veteran, I know there are moments of war and time in the military that I will never fully understand because I have not had those experiences. I am glad that Sam has a close, tight-knit circle of friends that he can reach out to–they can chat about memories of deployment, they can give one another a hard time about something that occurred in the military (I wrote a post asking Sam some questions and he referenced his buddy, Pete, and a truck). At times, when they chat, it is as if the distance has not separated them, and they pick up right where they left off.
Last night we watched a few videos that gave a backstory to some battle buddies who have come together to support one another and offer support to other veterans. The language might be foul at times, the humor may be crude, but Mat Best, the CEO of Article 15 Clothing Company and Mat Best 11x YouTube channel shared the story of how he lost some of his closest friends while on a mission. Difficult to watch, yes…but does it offer insight into the closeness, the bond, the relationships of battle buddies? Absolutely.
You can connect with Mat Best here https://www.facebook.com/mbest11x
Art 15 Clothing: http://www.article15clothing.com/
YouTube Mat Best: https://www.youtube.com/user/MBest11x
Now, let me say again, the language and content might not be for you. The “humor” may be dark or just downright crude, but adjustment to some situations from military experience may come in the form of dark humor.
Why?
Well, life after the military is an adjustment. Laughter is sometimes a defense mechanism because it is difficult for some (read: some, not all ) veterans to experience every day emotions. By learning to laugh again, it becomes a feeling, an emotion that may have been lost during deployment.
A veteran said, “our humor is so off color and misunderstood by civilians because if we didn’t laugh we’d be crying in fits of rage or worse.”
I think we should try to to understand our veterans, even if it might seem uncomfortable (as a civilian) but we owe a listening ear and compassion to those who have served on our behalf. Some veterans suggest that they simply cannot relate to civilians after their military experience and that often leads to them distancing themselves from those who have not served…veterans miss the camaraderie of the military, I do know that.
Let’s do our best to reach out to those who have served (or even others who have not)…they just might need a cup of coffee or a listening ear.
I find this to be true, and funny. Sometimes I just need a little quiet time and coffee. Did you know you can support veterans and enjoy a good cup of joe? Yep. Veteran run/owned/operated coffee can be found here: https://www.blackriflecoffee.com/