Discussion»Statements»Rosie's Corner» What doesn't break you makes you stronger. Blah blah blah blah blah. You won't know until you're tested. Have you been tested yet? How?
What doesn't break you makes you stronger. Blah blah blah blah blah. You won't know until you're tested. Have you been tested yet? How?
It could weaken you. You can't possibly KNOW in advance if you will get stronger or weaker or get completely crushed. You can opine of course. When you opine how do you see yourself reacting in a CRISIS?
In addressing the sum of your post: After serving nine years as a Commissioned Officer in the US Army, four combat deployments, commanding men under live fire and having witnessed dozens of men die, and unspeakable carnage, I can say with certainty that my response to crisis is a well-known entity.
You may not know this, Rosie, but I was among the servicemen in-country at the Marine Barracks bombing in Beirut, in ‘83. My unit was in the motor pool, 600 yards from the blast. The landscape of gore that I beheld that day changed my view of the world.
Further, as a father of five, the full menu of domestic crisis has beheld my powers of rationality and clarity in tight moments. Tested? Check.
This post was edited by Don Barzini at February 3, 2018 3:01 AM MST
Oh my gosh DonB! Beirut? Oh my gosh. No I didn't know but I do now. I would say you have been tested and not found wanting. I've often wondered what seeing your friends blown up in battle can do to you. You don't ever forget it. I expect it finds its way in your dreams. I am so sorry that you had to experience all of that Don and so glad you're here. You survived it. How it changed you I can never really know but I expect it did... a lot. Thank you for sharing that piece of your history with us. Can a civilian salute someone who was in the military to show respect? If so I salute you m'dear. SIGH. We never know the backstories of other people. Now I know a little bit of yours. Thank you for sharing it. Yep. I salute you. ((hugs))
This post was edited by RosieG at February 3, 2018 6:43 AM MST
It was truly a seminal point of my coming-of-age, Rosie, and imposed on me the greatest awareness of our mortality, the tenuous fragility of life, and the imperative to absolutely make hay in every moment we are granted. I became a more driven individual, raised my goals higher, and found a richer passion with which to live.
Very little scares me now, and I am grateful beyond words for having lived, and to have gained the acumen and experiences to impart what I can in forums such as this.
I thank you for your indulgence, and again, may the powers of medical science bring about a happy result in your son’s health scare.
You're welcome m'dear. I didn't indulge you however. You educated me which is the why of my being here. So thank you for that. We await the results of the biopsy for the stage and nature of the cancer. We hope. We try to visualize a positive outcome. It's easier on us than crying.
Don Barzini 