Why Are People Scared Of Us?

[Spock]

...the vast majority of really screwed up people in the world are not vets...

Bingo! Thank you

 

[Woodsman82]

I found that also JarHed, but its not the book same title though. His name is Torrance, like the family on the shining.

 

[Virtues]

...like the family on the shining.

Wow... how fitting...

I carry a crash axe in my truck. I think if I were in your shoes and if we would have had a break, I would have come back in dragging it behind me an not said a word.

Then again, if he was as ignorant as you say he was, even after sky-lining yourself, he still wouldn't have noticed the hat, an clearly have missed the pun of the joke. This is where I get expelled from school btw...

 

[Woodsman82]

Hahaha I do a good enough job of making other students feel awkward as it is. Here is a good read written by a old friend that I served with. It wont let me post the link, but Google an Airborne NCO's View from Yale.

 

[Virtues]

Good read, maybe it's just me and the fact i'm 34 and in my 1st year of college, but "fitting in" never even crossed my mind. maybe it's because I'm married and have 3 kids; I don't really have time for friends. That network of people I've already written off. College is for me, and ME only. Somewhere along the way I'd like to find my counter ballast, whether that's a student, professor, someone I end up working for, or with, but I sure as hell don't plan on having a community comradery like there is in the AD. It would just be nice to find 1 person that I can gel with.

 

[combatgoldfish]

I ended up with one friend during the last three years of college. Ended up being a female that battled cancer in her twenties. Really nice gal that was taking a criminal justice class that was required for 911 dispatch.

The rest of the people that I go to class with are far too civilian for me.

 

[Virtues]

It's funny to me, and this is just my opinion, college is just a bunch of young bucks who think they're enlightened, who are so full of themselves that they feel it necessary to go around and tell everyone they meet their ideas, principles, what they think and who they are, and most of the time these "enlightened" ideas are about peace and anti military. Then you have a hand full of people who have really lived who either say nothing at all or retaliate back in absolute anger with the most intelligent arguments that sound completely ignorant because they are said in haste, so they fall upon def ears. And so the cycle of no one "REALLY" learning anything perpetuates.

 

[Spock]

I ended up with one friend during the last three years of college. Ended up being a female that battled cancer in her twenties. Really nice gal that was taking a criminal justice class that was required for 911 dispatch.

The rest of the people that I go to class with are far too civilian for me.

Interesting how the only other person had also dealt with incredible traumatic event. Maybe you bonded because you're less focused on the petty stuff because it can be just too irritating for us now. So we tend to isolate more because so we don't get too wound-up and over react. But the good thing is there are people we can find to relate to, they're out there.

 

[JarHed]

I too started college late after getting out of the service. You'll always be out of synch, not just with college, but with most things in life. I tried for years to play the catch up game, it doesn't work you never get there. Enjoy the fact that you've got some real life experiences that the other students lack.

 

[BaMuoiBa]

Thank you Jar!

You'll always be out of synch, not just with college, but with most things in life.

Dealt with the academia in the City of NY in the early to mid 70's. They were just beginning to feel there oats back then and if one was to get through it you'd improvise,adapt and overcome (sound familiar Jar). I went 7 years at night for a Engineering Degree among those who had nothing but disdain for Veterans. Consumed my share of medicinal alcohol and waged war on anyone willing and unwilling to be in my sights. Also, having a few friends who were both Vets and LEO's was also helpful. The saving grace was my ability to become stealth before we knew what stealth was. It was necessary to do the beard thing along with the long hair. Let's be honest if a potential employer seen a clean shaved well groomed prospect you were immediately labeled a crazy f*cken "baby killer".

Like most things, we as people, fear things we don't understand. Fear is easily translated into hate to rebuff logical attempts to rationalize the it's existence and ward off all explanation. It was but for the grace of God that society only branded us as they did and not put us into the gulag instead. When I was separated at Treasure Island in August of 1966 I had some starched shirt LTjg tell me "sailor you don't want to wear that uniform into the city of San Francisco when you leave here". That was the only time I took advice from an OCS success story. He was right, I thought I left "indian country" when I got to the shores of the USA. Was I surprised!

Those same A$$holes walk among us today as pillars of society. Guess what - we're still the crazy's! WTF!

PTSD - The gift that keeps on giving.....

Ba

 

[JarHed]

Hey Ba

I got my first degrees at a university's art school. It was great. Made some good friends but the politics was just too much. I've never navigated that area very well. Guess that comes as no surprise. A bit more laid back in the Arts. Didn't help me to get a job but it was cool anyway.

Jar

 

[Spock]

Well done Ba!