So, now that I’ve decided to write more often, today (well, actually yesterday) seems like as good a time as any to start. I’m not diving into the “why” details, but as a 100% disabled veteran, I’m currently not working. That’s not my long-term plan, though. I’m actually heading back to college in a month. College at 42… this should be fun.
Since I can’t work (key word there… can’t), I attend a program called the Community Reintegration Program. Some of the groups offered aren’t my cup of tea. Some make no sense to me. Others, I find helpful. One group I attend is called Illness Management and Recovery, or IMR for short. That’s the answer you’ll get if you ask anyone because nobody remembers the long version.
Between the two folks running the group and the generally good participation from my fellow vets, I’ve learned a lot. I’ve even been able to share things that have helped other vets. Most of the guys in the group are from the Vietnam era, so I’m one of the younger ones. Between all of us, there’s a wide range of life experiences, addictions, illnesses, and the like. I’ll never share anything specific, but I’ll share my part of a discussion we had today. One of the group leaders said it was almost a mic drop moment, but I disagree, lol. I said it a lot better than I tried to rewrite it after the fact.
As our discussion went on, the song “Life is a Highway” popped into my head, and the gremlins up there somehow turned that into what I wrote below. I don’t think I’ve heard this said before, but I’m sure it has been, so I won’t claim it’s original.
Imagine your life as a journey on Interstate 95, stretching from the sunny beaches of Florida to the rocky shores of Maine. You are born at one end, and your final destination is at the other. The on-ramps represent new beginnings and opportunities, moments when you join the highway of life with fresh hope and direction. Off-ramps symbolize the challenges and detours—personal struggles, mental health issues, and unexpected events that force you off the main path onto rough, unfamiliar roads.
As you travel, you encounter construction zones, representing obstacles and periods of growth. These slow you down and test your patience, but they are necessary for personal development. Despite these setbacks, you find your way back onto the highway, symbolizing resilience and recovery. Eventually, you reach the end of I-95, where you can reflect on your journey—the smooth highways, rough detours, and construction zones. You’ve navigated the complexities of mental health and life’s challenges, arriving with newfound strength and wisdom.
So, what do you think? Good analogy? How would you explain it? I actually printed this out and put it by my bed so I can read it often. Things in life may make me get off the highway, but there is always an on-ramp further down the road. It might take some time on the backroads before you find that on-ramp, but it’s there. It’s always there.