It s funny how we deem what is safe, secure, doable. I knew by age eight that I had no saving grace. My parents were merely human. My dad was not going to rescue me under most circumstances. Would he try? I wanted to think so. Yet back then, understanding how fallible we were as human beings; I accepted the fact that when push came to shove, the truth was I was alone even then in this world. I had to become my own saving grace. My own hero. And if I could be there for someone else, then I would. Many decades later in 2008, as I'd attempted to race at the U.S. National 24-Hour Championships in Texas, this while still bleeding out just a few days after a burst ovarian cyst put me onto our toilet back and forth with dry heaves included. Then put me onto a floor sideways. That was only after I'd gotten our children's lunches made and packed. Cooked and served them breakfast bent in half. Telling them, "Mom just doesn't feel too good. Its okay." I'd paused. ...
After reading Tom Ridge's book, "The Test of Our Times", as I've read about historical events and such regularly. Now for the part of awareness and accepting certain feelings as 'just is'. Because you're just you. I'll bring us to what I was reminded of this morning upon reflection of a recent conversation. Decades ago in the Marines, I took a course that was not required at the time by Marines. You took it to gain rank. Then eventually about a year later they threw it to our unit for an afternoon, for a general brief lesson. It was, how to wear a suit to be protected from things like nerve agents, going into areas after Chemical, Biological and Nuclear warfare agents have occurred. The course I took was way more than a day of studies. From my notes I have it was over the course of months. It was broken down into sections under each area of warfare. Like Chemical agents of nerve, blood, choking, blistering and so forth. It would be hitting different ...