tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post762756300779479692..comments2024-03-20T12:34:55.100-05:00Comments on Stonekettle Station: Combat FatigueJim Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11259550121437562338noreply@blogger.comBlogger206125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-84013181116654247162021-07-09T10:32:18.910-05:002021-07-09T10:32:18.910-05:00Just popped over from Facebook (There's a blog...Just popped over from Facebook (There's a blog?!) where I'm not a qualified commenter (I know). I really enjoy your writing, both on FB and Twitter, and if you decide to move here for some shorter pieces, or even the occasional drive-by shooting, I'd be happy to ride along.Judithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10246286726623570467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-8203743174203644822021-03-05T09:00:45.596-06:002021-03-05T09:00:45.596-06:00I cried at Biden's inauguration because I'...I cried at Biden's inauguration because I'd been so scared and enraged for so long. <br /><br /><br />I know we aren't out of the woods by any means but at least we have a President who acknowledges the existence of trees. Katie Wrayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00959601518866933943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-53671642856255036682021-02-18T15:16:33.273-06:002021-02-18T15:16:33.273-06:00I just wanted to thank you for posting about the l...I just wanted to thank you for posting about the landing of Perseverance. I would have missed it without your heads-up. Also, I love your posts, both on Facebook and here. Thank you. debbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13331084236028757617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-7074857446908308192021-02-15T18:56:49.098-06:002021-02-15T18:56:49.098-06:00That last post is really powerful. I'm almost ...That last post is really powerful. I'm almost embarrassed to follow it. But I'll try and suck it up and say what I want to you.<br /><br />You've been lost to me since I left three months of quarantine in eastern Massachusetts for the last nine months of quarantine in Brooklin, ME. I'm 85, got to know my woods incredibly well between May and November as I took down tree tangles, and put aside 12 cord of rounds rolled through the woods and split where I can reach it for my winter heat and sauna use. I had to turn my sauna/potlucks into four 1-5 person sauna "bubble flights" with no potlucks after researching COVID-19 and heat (the virus can't survive 150 degrees and my 21-seater is always between 180 and 210). But I stopped them several months ago when Maine's numbers started going up just about the time mask-wearing got politicized by LePage's (Trump before there was Trump) Maine Republicans. Despite my care and attention I didn't want to aid and abet illness among those with whom I'd become the gathering point for a group that on any given session before had eight . . . or eighteen in attendance. A month ago I got savaged by the local health monopoly when they announced by email their new online system for those of us in the Phase Ib priority group (elders)to apply for vaccination appointments. Six awful hours after I logged on, I was summarily disconnected. I never did get registered but I did try to go to sleep recognizing that I felt suicidal for the first time in my life. The "system" was misconceived, flawed, prematurely launched, digitally abusive, and deeply redundant "initiative' launched with self-congratulatory fanfare. I haven't been the same since. The only thing that's saved me is the decision I made the next morning to fight back as hard as I could manage. And to take every opportunity I could when I could no longer live with my anger to walk in my woods, or seek succor on the phone promising myself to hold my anger in check and out of view.<br /><br />All by way of saying to you do what you have to do to care for you and yours. What you've provided has been inspiring to many, many of us. We would continue to benefit hearing from you whenever you feel up to it. And thanks, Jim Wright . . . Hendrik Gideonsehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13504774714286944875noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-20799429732482001732021-02-12T12:13:14.621-06:002021-02-12T12:13:14.621-06:00Thank you.... puts into words what I’ve been strug...Thank you.... puts into words what I’ve been struggling with, in several different aspects of my life, personally and professionally. I truly appreciate those who are capable of distilling the essence of what’s going on. A healthy mix of empathy and awareness. Cheers and thank you.Feigerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06519430845488145960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-83415798750122624152021-02-05T09:54:39.391-06:002021-02-05T09:54:39.391-06:00Jim, you've gone through a lot. Take time to ...Jim, you've gone through a lot. Take time to appreciate that. I'd have failed utterly under your burdens.Barry DeCiccohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04735814736387033844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-59372030428679396972021-02-03T20:51:01.842-06:002021-02-03T20:51:01.842-06:00Correct. Who would have thought thirty years ago ...Correct. Who would have thought thirty years ago most people would be staring at handheld screens all day. It short circuits the human experience.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-52028008068943769552021-02-02T19:24:34.453-06:002021-02-02T19:24:34.453-06:00Shell shock (SS), battle fatigue (BF), post trauma...Shell shock (SS), battle fatigue (BF), post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),George Carlin does a magnificent riff on this issue of lengthening the descriptives of those aspects of life which impact our individual psyches. I am now 50 years removed from that "experience;" yet, that which I saw, felt, did, occupies my "space" and shapes my identity today. Not so long ago I was dating a woman with whom I believed would be the person I would spend my remaining years. Not to be, my nightmares (I function at a very high level day-to-day) will never not be a part of my "space." What broke the connection you could (should?) ask? The nightmare, a new one, I'm in a hand-to-hand struggle with a VC/NVA troop. And as is sometimes usual with nightmares, we find ourselves unable to use our hands to fight, legs to run, voice to scream. But I managed in the dream to break free of grasp of this entity and began punching him in the face. Landed the first blow, and was instantly awakened by the lady at my side whom I had just punched in the side of the head and was bringing my fist back in order to hit her again. When, you ask, did this occur? Sometime this last spring (2020). She moved into the guest bedroom the next evening, and we never slept together again. A few short weeks later, she moved out and we are broken. The point of this disquisition is this simple fact, the last four years, for this Veteran, have been a waking nightmare as all those aspects of this great country which I served, and would do so again, were under attack by those who, in my youth, would have been seen as the bullies they are. We would have made short work of them in the neighborhood.<br /><br />I read the arguments of those who say, "Let us return to our lives. This has passed." NOT NO, BUT HELL NO!!!!! This man who tried to destroy this republic needs to be brought before the bar, tried, and when he is found guilty of treason and the subsequent sedition, sent to Elba (If you don't understand the reference, look it up.) to spend the rest of his life in solitary confinement. He, in is narcissism, will be unable to tolerate that punishment for he will have no audience who will fall upon his every word as if those words were "manna" from on high. <br /><br />As for those who sycophantically climbed onto the train he was driving, Cruz, Rand, McConnell, Hawley, et alia, my wish is they be seen as the traitors they are and turned from the offices they currently hold. Those former military members who participated in the seditious attack on our House, need to face trial as well. The only failing here is they should be brought before a court martial board not a civilian court.<br /><br />Battle Fatigue indeed. This greatest experiment in human social construction has been sorely wounded. I can only hope we have not entered the fourth stage of the life of "empires" as described by a Muslim philosopher more than 800 years ago: That stage whereat the "people" are so busy building monuments to themselves, they cannot see or deal with the changes in the world around them. RJC42 - Silent Generation as is our new POTUShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08183674888422509162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-72322228915317273382021-02-02T16:28:42.243-06:002021-02-02T16:28:42.243-06:00A heartfelt Hosanna to you seems appropriate. You&...A heartfelt Hosanna to you seems appropriate. You've gifted us all with an outlet to save some of our sanity, but in exchange for some of yours. For that and your ally-ship, I am forever grateful. Please take care and remember to breathe.<br /><br />Thank you,Michael Brookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13135824413440276247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-71573530595850157902021-01-31T08:37:57.030-06:002021-01-31T08:37:57.030-06:00Well said, Stephanie. Well said, Stephanie. Rai Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05048732150549506408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-62818787479147332482021-01-31T06:09:02.589-06:002021-01-31T06:09:02.589-06:00Thank you so much for this! I don't have the a...Thank you so much for this! I don't have the added stress and heartache of caring for an elder family member as you do, Jim, and I can't even imagine the pent-up emotions over these past four years plus the multitude of feelings that come from this added responsibility. I only know that I've had days and weeks of grief and anger and rage at watching our country and its values being spit on every day that I've finally begun to let go. And I'll continue to let go in stages as the healing spreads. Your words are a balm toward that healing. Thank you. I wish you peace as you embark on your own healing journey. Laura Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11910455742217238157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-84175966521395746022021-01-29T18:50:15.825-06:002021-01-29T18:50:15.825-06:00Yes, Jim... Yes, and thank you. My heart goes out ...Yes, Jim... Yes, and thank you. My heart goes out to you and to all of us who are not head-blind. The last five years have been such a traumatic ordeal, and there is more work, even more ordeal to come. <br /><br />But that first breath on the afternoon of January 20th, after the Orange Stain had left DC and Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were inaugurated, just felt so much better, so much bigger, more free, like I suddenly had more room in my lungs to fill with air... It was remarkable. The trauma remains, but I still feel some of that extra room in my lungs to breathe. And I expect that the time will come when I can function better. I need to, because if the last five years have taught me anything, it is that I cannot afford to disengage as a citizen. I must do what I can to prevent such awfulness from ever happening again. And I must do my part to help myself, my country, its government, and its people be better. I will do what I can to help shape as desirable a future as possible for all of us -- I have seen what happens when we let our citizenship slide. <br /><br />Breathe, recover, replenish, Jim, and we will hopefully do the same. We are all needed.<br />-- Dorothy DrDorothyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01605363359813734181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-50082484394668275922021-01-28T21:02:15.686-06:002021-01-28T21:02:15.686-06:00Happy to read that your procedure seems to have go...Happy to read that your procedure seems to have gone well, Jim. I had my own heart incident two months ago...I had an ECG as part of a regular physical (I had been feeling excessively tired for a few months). One hour after returning home, I received a call saying "Get to emergency ASAP!"... it seems that my heart had been pumping at 1/3 the rate that it should. I now have a pacemaker, something that is not very common as early as 64 years old. I wish you continued health improvement. Take care.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-20190543719551934022021-01-28T20:04:38.944-06:002021-01-28T20:04:38.944-06:00Wow! It sure has been a tough year for you and you...Wow! It sure has been a tough year for you and your family. Love to you all from Canada. I had a hard time breathing between the election and the inauguration and had that moment of joy once Joe and Kamala were sworn in, and Amanda's reading was the cherry on top. I hope you all stay safe!<br />carolCarol T., Canadahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04693468419555047428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-56070884692391872572021-01-28T16:37:12.010-06:002021-01-28T16:37:12.010-06:00I'm not convinced that social media isn't ...I'm not convinced that social media isn't one of the worst poisons we've made for ourselves, not just for us that struggle with keeping a level keel in choppy waters, but for those who must react instantly, without thought, without contemplation, and expect anything they see as the start of a new trend. It's a positive feedback loop out of control, and it's feeding our collective insanity.Robert Goffnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-28758918401173873582021-01-28T16:36:26.482-06:002021-01-28T16:36:26.482-06:00thanks for all that. For all itsworthiness...exist...thanks for all that. For all itsworthiness...existence is always one long compromise....otherwise we'd be gods. And, while I can only speak for myself, I'm pretty darn sure I'm no god. All we can do is try...until we can't anymore. That's life. No real answers contained therein. Take care...thanks, again, Mr. Wright, you're a good guy.<br />Two Claws Jewelryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09557221464895619969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-51170783536304966892021-01-27T06:50:44.785-06:002021-01-27T06:50:44.785-06:00A mental documentary of sorts runs through my head...A mental documentary of sorts runs through my head when I recall Election night 2015. The shock and dismay bundled up in no small amount of shame were so overwhelming that I abandoned the watch, took a sedative and rocked myself to sleep. My normally stoic mate crawled in beside me in much the same condition. <br /><br />That night came back to me in stomach-flipping waves as I watched the early returns this time around. I stayed the watch, and the next day I realized that my life was bookended by these two events in a way that felt like I'd been punched in the chest so hard I'd lost all my air, then awoke the morning after to the deepest, sweetest, freshest breath of my life. I knew I'd feel better, but I didn't realize how much better. <br /><br />Like friends and family I enjoyed some unseemly moments of schadenfreude, but mostly I was struck by one thing: I could go entire days, weeks even without thinking about the presidency at all. I was looking forward to being bored by my president. Such a simple thing to be indifferent to the presidential Twitter feed. And as if to punctuate my release from all that sorrow and rage and shame, Facebook suspended me for 30 days for telling someone not to be so ugly to others. The algorithms have had my number for 4 years, and this time, an out of context word kicked me out. I'm okay with it, because the gnashing of teeth and rending of dirty t-shirts in this neck of the woods will draw me right back into the insanity. <br /><br />I loved your little jokes, fresh air. Katrinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14477487682997119719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-40709883402689080142021-01-26T14:44:02.996-06:002021-01-26T14:44:02.996-06:00Once again, I feel as though the jumble of thought...Once again, I feel as though the jumble of thoughts bouncing around in my head came out neatly organized in your writing. I hate that life is such a heavy toll for you, but I know I'm not alone in saying you are a healing force for many of us. <br />Thank you most honorable sir for your service to human kind. MsJLGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06400144331773660996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-72173657691746203892021-01-26T09:03:44.658-06:002021-01-26T09:03:44.658-06:00Glad to have you back. Have only the best thoughts...Glad to have you back. Have only the best thoughts for you and yours. Stay safe. Your wordsmithing is as good as ever. Thanks.Ingersollmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16538091667841182672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-34935409471877066952021-01-26T08:41:32.828-06:002021-01-26T08:41:32.828-06:00Dear Jim,
Would you consider collecting your scie...Dear Jim,<br /><br />Would you consider collecting your science fiction-related essays into a book of essays!? Paperback or kindle or ... I so love them, and they make me cry (in a good way). I'm sure I'm not alone in this. Thank you!! You're a national treasure! <br /><br />TamaraTamarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06986544384594087203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-74868320718340520712021-01-25T21:18:06.662-06:002021-01-25T21:18:06.662-06:00Very grateful for every aspect of your service. Ma...Very grateful for every aspect of your service. May joy be a frequent visitor in your home in the future.FJLnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-87467922085070085972021-01-25T15:28:58.664-06:002021-01-25T15:28:58.664-06:00Wow, Jim, thank you for voicing what was incoheren...Wow, Jim, thank you for voicing what was incoherently pinging through my head. This essay rivals Antipodes. I'm coming out of this administration barely optimistic, worried about 2022, but I did post on inauguration day that I knew there was a lot of work, but that on that day I planned to take a breath. During these last four years, I learned whom I could trust and whom I could not. Fortunately, there was more of the former. I lost one friend that clings to the whole fantasy that 45 would bring about a libertarian government. A couple of relatives I barely know have blocked me, and some acquaintances have unfriended me. As someone who has taken care of elderly relatives, I can sympathize and am very glad you and your wife tested negative for COVID. I do hope you can find some respite. Also, I love the photos, particularly of the dragonflies and dogs. I want to wish you health, peace of mind, and continued success however you define it. <br />Skyfarernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-11857193711264203632021-01-25T14:33:58.543-06:002021-01-25T14:33:58.543-06:00You have every right to breathe. We all do. It has...You have every right to breathe. We all do. It has been a hellacious 5 years, from the time he came down on that elevator. And add to that being a caregiver. We took care of my mother for 2 years before she died. She had Alzheimers, so I understand. That is stress like no other. So, enjoy your jobs. I know I did. I also enjoyed the meme of Michelle with the light Saber and various other strong women meme from Inauguration Day. We will all get back to work soon enough. But we all have earned the right to breathe.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15780837854817169381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-57771691799865795532021-01-25T14:12:21.574-06:002021-01-25T14:12:21.574-06:00Thank you. Thank you. Ellen L Horrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14153618255582486772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8243351006478134285.post-25489288296397567812021-01-25T11:38:18.878-06:002021-01-25T11:38:18.878-06:00I read your articles, but almost never comment, as...I read your articles, but almost never comment, as I don't feel like I can add anything to them. Except today.<br /><br />Your article was exactly what I needed to read. It IS OK to be happy again; we DID make it through, even if many of our fellow countrymen didn't. There's still a void inside though, even if we are feeling happier. Yesterday, my wife lost her fourth friend to COVID. He had been a co-worker of hers before she retired. Last night, she told me that she couldn't cry over him, and that bothered her. I told her, "Welcome to the walking wounded," but you're right; it's PTSD. She's been concerned about bringing COVID home due to my health problems, and we've both watched as close friends have come down with it. You can only go on that way for so long until something inside you breaks.<br /><br />I'm happy that Cheeto Mussolini is gone, but not completely happy. Part of me is terrified over what we're going to find out about his attempted coup. How deep into our government did it stretch? How many rich outside donors were involved? I'm familiar with the Businessman's Plot against FDR, so I know this isn't the first time something like this has happened. However, I NEVER thought I would see a mob launch an insurrection on the Capitol grounds with the intent of stopping the Presidential vote. And then, to see members of that party vote with the mob? I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried on 1/6.<br /><br />Thank you for your columns. I will be forwarding this one to several people who I think need to read it. BrianWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00381316332364595094noreply@blogger.com