Wapsi Square Forum

For a country that encourages people to thank vets for their service with superficial gimmies and prides itself on how well we treat our vets, our nation sure does a shit job at actually taking care of our vets.

GlytchMeister wrote:For a country that encourages people to thank vets for their service with superficial gimmies and prides itself on how well we treat our vets, our nation sure does a shit job at actually taking care of our vets.

Trust me, it's better than it was thirty years ago. It's a start, and for the rest of my time here, I'll fight to get Veterans more and more until they have all they need. For my Daddy, and all those who came before, and come after. Nobody gets left behind on my watch.

DinkyInky wrote:

GlytchMeister wrote:For a country that encourages people to thank vets for their service with superficial gimmies and prides itself on how well we treat our vets, our nation sure does a shit job at actually taking care of our vets.

Trust me, it's better than it was thirty years ago. It's a start, and for the rest of my time here, I'll fight to get Veterans more and more until they have all they need. For my Daddy, and all those who came before, and come after. Nobody gets left behind on my watch.

Bless you my child...

Al- I finally read your last three chapters. I cried. I have no clue how many times I have held a veteran while he/she spilled their soiled, damaged soul all over me. It was well handled... very well handled. Accurate. Gut wrenching. Exactly what it ought to be. Bravo!

GlytchMeister wrote:Medically, improvements have been made in leaps and bounds since WWI. Societally, as in the widespread public understanding, acceptance, non-shaming and non-ostracizing people with any mental illness, including PTSD, has been moving along at a snail’s pace.

Years ago I read Dr. Robert Glasser's "365 Days" - what he saw among the troops in Vietnam during his tour as a combat doctor, and what other medical personnel and troops told him. One chapter discussed the treatment for "combat fatigue" (a.k.a. breaking under pressure). The military-medical system had changed its approach over the years. Rather than evac'ing the soldiers for lengthy treatment in the rear as was done during previous wars (and often ending their active service as a result), the focus had become "Get them back in service and back to their units." They were pulled back to base, treated (often something like a shot of thorazine to let them "sleep it off" for a couple of days), and the basic approach was "You're still a soldier and still part of your unit."

From what he reported... it worked, at least in the sense of meeting the military's goals. Most of the soldiers did return to active duty, which wasn't the case in previous wars.

But, did it work in the long run? Nobody knew. From what he said, there was no long-term followup. Nobody knew how many of the "treated" soldiers did well, how many had ongoing problems or relapses, and how many ran out in front of enemy fire and were killed in their next combat patrol. The doctor who talked to him about this said "It seems as if nobody wants to know."

Sgt. Howard wrote:Al- I finally read your last three chapters. I cried. I have no clue how many times I have held a veteran while he/she spilled their soiled, damaged soul all over me. It was well handled... very well handled. Accurate. Gut wrenching. Exactly what it ought to be. Bravo!

The writing rings so true, that it comes through as real even to somebody who has never Been There. Bravo indeed!

Sgt. Howard wrote:Al- I finally read your last three chapters. I cried. I have no clue how many times I have held a veteran while he/she spilled their soiled, damaged soul all over me. It was well handled... very well handled. Accurate. Gut wrenching. Exactly what it ought to be. Bravo!

I am honoured that you found it so correct, and thrilled you approved. Thank you.

What I am also thrilled with here is that I am not hearing sexist comments about the warrior bond between Al and Sterling. I must confess, it was a major concern to me in telling this story - and I debated whether this could or should see the light of day because of what I might hear on that topic. The fact that you all seem to 'get it' gives me great pride in my ability to write a story - and the ability of the readers here to read the truth in a piece of fiction.

I would not be greatly surprised if Al and Sterling cannot - or refuse to - think of each other in a sexual manner.

I'm not saying it's so, just that such would not surprise me.

--FreeFlier

I would suspect it would be hard as you'd never think of a parent or child that way.

I will admit I got a little confused as to the amount of time that elapsed from Eme speaking to Ialin smacking Al. It just seemed like he stopped, took a breath or two, then the game of "Whack-A-Pixie" happened.

jwhouk wrote:I would suspect it would be hard as you'd never think of a parent or child that way.

I will admit I got a little confused as to the amount of time that elapsed from Eme speaking to Ialin smacking Al. It just seemed like he stopped, took a breath or two, then the game of "Whack-A-Pixie" happened.

A: You got it.

B: that could use bit of chronological pacing...which I'll look at. Thanks, Joe.

Even without arachnophobia, a spider dropping in unexpectedly like that can cause strong reactions . . .

--FreeFlier

FreeFlier wrote:Even without arachnophobia, a spider dropping in unexpectedly like that can cause strong reactions . . .

--FreeFlier

Al can sometimes be embarrassingly autobiographical. I was putting the Overlander (yes it exists) in condition for a trip to Canada early this Summer and that happened. I had my head in the front closet and was sussing out a problem in the wiring. I turned up and the SOB scared the living hell out of me. As I strongly dislike spiders that was an unsettling moment.

More unfortunately, I had Dinky on the phone as I was working on it - we were discussing something or another - and she heard the whole event. At that point it occurred to me I was NEVER going to live this down.

After she got done laughing (which was a while) she demanded that this get included in the still-naescent story. I got revenge...as you will see.

Alan

Al did get some teasing over on the writers' private forum after that was posted. Including the current sequence of Sequential Art, which starts with this:

Shame on Sterling! That stunt with the camera was right out. Funny, perhaps irresistible, but dangerous! Sterling might at least have put a few pillows on the floor, or woven a force web, before waking Al in such a manner.

A fall like that could have broken bones, up to and including Al's neck. Let alone what might have happened if he'd reacted as if being attacked and had thrown a fireball or two in reflective self defense. Would have burned up her down comforter for sure... serve her right to have her bedroom full of the smell of charred feathers for the next month as a reminder not to poke a sleeping Warrior with a sharp stick... mumble... mutter...

If Al pranks her with a whoopie cushion at the right moment, someday... well, she'll have no one to blame except herself.

Dave wrote:Shame on Sterling! That stunt with the camera was right out. Funny, perhaps irresistible, but dangerous! Sterling might at least have put a few pillows on the floor, or woven a force web, before waking Al in such a manner.

A fall like that could have broken bones, up to and including Al's neck. Let alone what might have happened if he'd reacted as if being attacked and had thrown a fireball or two in reflective self defense. Would have burned up her down comforter for sure... serve her right to have her bedroom full of the smell of charred feathers for the next month as a reminder not to poke a sleeping Warrior with a sharp stick... mumble... mutter...

If Al pranks her with a whoopie cushion at the right moment, someday... well, she'll have no one to blame except herself.

She wasn't completely irresponsible, having brought in the futon from her porch lounger and put it under him. There was padding - and that thick Brit skull...no chance of damage. Also, remember Al was a member of 1 Para - falling is something he knows how to do, having made a living flinging himself out of perfectly functional airplanes in his youth.

Best part is the dumb sonofanape did it to HIMSELF. There was NO graceful way he was coming back into the clutches of gravity on that one.You have no idea how hard I laughed when Dink came up with that one and we scripted it out.

It is a manifestation of the old man continuing to come into his own. He's never going to have the power Fergus or Talessin do, simply because he's starting 60 years too late. This doesn't mean he won't have control and bags of it. This was, however, and unplanned excursion.

If you read the next chapter...karma's a bitch.

Just Old Al wrote:If you read the next chapter...karma's a bitch.

Yeah, I saw that a few minutes ago. "Piercings!"

Just Old Al wrote:Part III will come some time in the new year when my creative juices and Dinky's re-establish themselves.

Are you saying that you need to bow to the earth and ground yourself, re-centering and balancing yourself in the process, refilling yourself to repletion?

lake_wrangler wrote:

Just Old Al wrote:Part III will come some time in the new year when my creative juices and Dinky's re-establish themselves.

Are you saying that you need to bow to the earth and ground yourself, re-centering and balancing yourself in the process, refilling yourself to repletion?

In short, yep. Just spent an hour doing that with a shovel, removing ice and snow from ym driveway. The Goddess is refilling my water table...

You really do say that like you think it impossible - I am rather surprised.

More like chuckling at the possibility of life imitating art...


Meanwhile, as I was enjoying reading more during breakfast, this morning, I noticed a discrepancy:

In Chapter 26, you state:

Just Old Al wrote:With the sunroof open and windows at half-mast the interior of the car was a sunny, breezy place.

Yet we clearly see, in chapter 6:

Just Old Al wrote:I am thoroughly glad that she's not got sunroofs – those were the demise of many Range Rovers and Discoveries, as they leaked and the water absorbed by the sponge matting destroyed the floors.

Just thought I'd let you know. Otherwise, I am indeed thoroughly enjoying the reading experience.

But I have to go, for now, or I'll be late for church.

Re: 6/26: oops.

Thanks for the catch on that.

"Demara sugar" should be "Demerara sugar", I think, in two places.

Unless, that is, you're referring to some form of sugar substitute, sold under the branding of The Great Impostor? Kind of like Betty Crocker or Aunt Jemima, but with a different face on the package?



And, in any case, 'tis a sweet tale you've told. The kindred-spirit companionship comes through beautifully.