The text I thought I would never send…

And it was to my wife.

The psychological and emotional issues that go along with military related Post Traumatic Stress our mine to deal with,mine to keep at bay so that I can live a normal life. Without the fear that there is an improvised explosive device or shooter around the next corner. To be on edge in a large crowd because the potential for a threat is so much higher. Paying attention to all exits near and around me. Sizing up all the people around me to see who is the enemy, who will freeze if it all hits the fan, who looks like a person who will stand up and fight, and unfortunately who are the ones least likely to survive.

These are my demons, my flash backs and night terrors. These are the burdens that we as combat veterans must pay. Not that I like these symptoms,but they are the price to defend this country from all enemies foreign and domestic.

Domestic. Whoa! I have never really put much focus into one singular word. Domestic. But now I do, and with more and more instances of violence my situational awareness of who is around and how do they fit into a scenario are suddenly on the front of my mind again. Every time I try to turn down the intense focus. BOOM another act of violence, in another part of society.