I stand at the edge, The dark pulls like gravity, Whispers of release sweeten the air, And I wonder, for a breath, How easy it would be To just let go, To stop fighting the current That drags me under every day. The weight of the world Isn’t on my…
In the quiet spaces between breaths, You held the world with quiet might. A soul unbending in the face of storm, Like a mountain against the night. Through whispered winds of fleeting time, Your courage grew, though all seemed still. In every step, you bore the weight, With grace, with…
Sometimes, I find solace in retreating from the world. When the noise around me crescendos, I instinctively turn down the volume within. In the whirlwind of life’s activity, I seek stillness, not out of avoidance but out of a deep understanding that calmness is where I recharge and find clarity….
I recently wrote another post about writing and how it helps with PTSD, you can read it here. A book has been on my to-do list since I was around 13 or 14. Back then, I wrote a few chapters of a story on my parents’ computer called “Dolan’s Voyage.”…
USS Ronald Reagan, operating in the Pacific Ocean in route to the South China Sea. *** The flight deck thrummed with energy, the roar of jet engines mingling with the sharp tang of aviation fuel in the salty air. Crew members in brightly colored vests darted between aircraft, their movements…
Introduction: The Hidden Struggle There’s a unique kind of exhaustion that comes from fighting battles no one else can see. PTSD isn’t just about the flashbacks or nightmares; it’s the constant hyper-awareness, the relentless questioning of reality. It’s in the moments when the world feels too loud, too bright, too…
The military loves its training exercises. In 2006, my squadron found its way to Alaska for a few weeks. We were there to participate in Northern Edge, a yearly event put on by the Air Force that brings together multiple branches of the military for joint training. Essentially, it’s a…
Ah, yes. The elusive security clearance. I had one—nice and shiny, too—for about 15 years. I’m not going to tell you exactly what level I had or what classified info I had access to. That would be too easy, wouldn’t it? What I can tell you is that I was…
