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Veterans Day, Mental Health & Misunderstandings

 

Veterans Day is a federal holiday in the United States of America, honoring military veterans of the United States. armed forces. As a combat veteran who served 20-plus years in the armed forces, Veterans Day hits home for me, I understand that the civilian sector means well when they say "thank you for your service" but when I hear it enough times, I don't feel that it sound genuine, no feeling behind it, it starts to sound like a parrot saying "Polly wants a cracker" over and over again. 

 One of the problems that Veterans face is coming back to an ungrateful nation, transitioning back to the civilian sector, finding their next mission, and creating a life with purpose, such as employment and education. These struggles can lead to problems such as depression, homelessness, and suicide. So Veterans come back home feeling alienated, trashed, tossed aside, erased, lost..forgotten. After giving enough of ourselves to the cause, we question what's our usefulness, feels like for some it has come to an end, felt forsaken, and abandoned, the key thing that is needed is empathy from employers and university faculty, some university faculty may take notes on the veteran, singling him out, stating that student is not jumping out in the pile of leaves with some of the other students..well, that veteran already went through his wonder years, taking on responsibilities at such a young age. Some universities may note that the veteran has toxic masculinity, it's not toxic, it's called confidence, walking down the hall with the chest out and head high, speaking in front of a full classroom doing a presentation, taking on the leadership role in a group project. Society may not throw eggs at the veterans coming back home as they did in years past, but the egg got replaced by passive-aggressive behavior, which I call the proverbial egg. Passive - Aggressive behavior is a pattern of indirectly expressing negative feelings instead of openly addressing them. There's a disconnect between what a person who exhibits passive-aggressive behavior says and what he or she does. Society preaches the words Diversity, equity, and inclusion, which is geared towards people of different races, ethnicities, religions, abilities, genders, and sexual orientations...but not so much the and, if, and or category of...Veterans. A supportive community can contribute in numerous ways, for example hosting community-based events, to allow veterans to share their experiences and create bonds with other vets and community members. These events can raise awareness about the unique challenges veterans face. You can thank a veteran, by voting for politicians who have a veteran's best interest in mind, I do agree, that climate change is very important but... don't forget about our veterans that served. Our veterans are crucial to the American way of life as we know it today, they protected our freedom of speech, thought, and religion, and gave us the pathway to have the American dream. The next time you thank a veteran for their service, look them in the eye, and give a firm handshake, as a vet myself, that has meaning.

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