I dont usually put a lot of REAL personal stuff on facebook. That being said... something amazing happened last night..or should I say early this morning... Here it is ....the but...now this is a long story so hang with me... 3 days ago I was online working on my business and one of my team mates posted a video and asked for some shares on it. The video was for wounded warriors project. So I commented on it and shared it on my business page.. my comment was This is an awesome benefit and organization. It is heart warming knowing that our country is in support of our service men. I am a baby boomer, i grew up in the military during Vietnam Era. (My father in the Air Force) ....those guys did not come home to such compassion and its great so see how far we have come... I went back to my day... and about a day later there is a comment on my post...This person asked if I was at RAF Lakenheath (England) at anytime...I answered yeah. Well it turns out we used to hang together in those days..she and another one of my buddies have been in touch for years and had been looking for me. We chatted and a whole flood of emotions came with it..there is this whole group of people out there who have shared and experienced the same things that I have..they also get that hesitation when people ask where they are from, or that itch to move somewhere else every few years (yep..still got it) even the dream of moving back to Lakenheath hoping to capture that time again..the thing is... No one would be there.. & when you turn 18 all of your ID cards and military documentation it taken. You cant go back..Cant go back to the school you went to..the friends you had can be anywhere. It kind of feels like you did not exist before 18...I want to be real clear I AM NOT COMPLAINING..I loved my life. I have seen and done things that people only think about.. I have been reading posts and talking to some of these Military Brats who are my age.. We all agree, making friends was easy, losing them and having to make news ones every 2 or 3 years was hard. We all remember the intercom system located in your house for emergency black outs or notifications..& Playing on the playground and at 1700 you stopped stood up straight and still while retreat was blasted across the base and the flag was lowered...no matter where you were, you stopped. People say that you can never go home again -If youre a military brat, you surely cannot. This unusual combination of experiences has created a cultural identity so powerful, it crosses all lines of race, gender, age, and class. Most brats, however, dont even know they belong to a separate subculture - they just feel different somehow, from their fellow Americans. Then the Internet surfaced a few years ago, enabling many to reconnect, reunite, and compare notes. The similarities theyve discovered are astounding - from seemingly innocuous personality quirks to major values, choices, expectations about life. Some of these psychological legacies are inspiring, others bittersweet. But for many, reconnecting with their fellow brats and recognizing their unique heritage has been the first time theyve felt like they belonged, the first hometown theyve ever known - each other. So thats it my story now I am on a mission to find some more old friends.
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 20:48:25 +0000
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